Shenzhens new restaurant RENER channels the cinematic aesthetics of Wong Kar-wai and Wes Anderson to create a dining experience where guests become part of the scene.
The 250-square-metre Chinese restaurant at Qianhai Kerry Center, designed by Kasawoo, blurs the line between theater and gastronomy. Art Deco lines meet hand-troweled textures and hot-rolled steel, while classical proportions are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
Kasawoo delved into early 20th-century Chinese architectural language, aiming to honour cultural roots while pushing into new territory. “We wanted to explore how something can feel simultaneously old and new,” says design director Darius Woo. “Memory became our design material — shaping spaces that feel both familiar and ephemeral.”
RENER shifts identity between day and night. By day, its a café confined to the eastern half. When evening arrives, curtains open and lighting transforms to unveil the full space. Nighttime guests enter through a separate southern entrance into a foyer that borrows from black-box theater. Each receives a “ticket” with small bites and drinks—an opening act for the tasting menu ahead.
