In a city hooked on the next big opening, TAN stays surprisingly small in focus – one humble pickle pot from Chengdu homes.
Shortlisted in the Hospitality Design category at the 2026 Australian Interior Design Awards, TAN, by Melissa Collison Design, begins with the traditional pickle pot found in Chengdu homes, where vegetables and memories ferment side by side.
Instead of treating the pickle pot as a throwaway motif, TAN treats it as architecture. Ideas of preservation, layering, slowness and warmth are translated into space: surfaces that seem to hold time, tones that feel lived-in rather than themed, and an overall mood that suggests stories have been steeping here long before the first service. It’s less “concept restaurant”, more memory palace – only the memories belong to a Chengdu kitchen, gently rewired for Shanghai.
The design gently allows this regional ritual to travel between cities, retaining much of its original flavour. TAN brings Sichuan culture north without tipping into costume drama or nostalgia overload. There are no gimmicky props, no heavy-handed references; instead, the design leans on cultural sensitivity and restraint. Details nod to tradition, but the hospitality is firmly contemporary, proving that deeply local ideas can cross regions without turning into watered-down décor.
The spatial planning borrows from real eating rituals: generous communal zones where shared dishes and loud conversations belong, balanced with private rooms designed for family banquets, business dinners and long, lingering feasts. Circulation, sightlines and seating all work to choreograph how people gather, rather than simply dropping tables into a beautiful shell.
Sustainability is woven into this longevity mindset. By prioritising durable materials and respecting existing heritage fabric, the design aims to patinate rather than date, making TAN feel like a place that will deepen rather than tire over time. The concept itself is built to last – a story of preservation told by a space designed to be preserved.
