The Century

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project management
PARING ONIONS

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Golden Century Group has been an award winning and institution of Chinese dining in Sydney,
and its latest addition is THE CENTURY located at The Star, Sydney. Paring Onions is responsible
for the full design and branding of the restaurant, from interiors to branding, graphics including
logo design, menu, wine list, signages, business cards, and staff uniforms.
The interior concept playfully incorporates symbolisms of Chinese culinary culture with a
modern twist. It is critical to keep the Golden Century’s unique history brandDNA in mind,
but also an opportunity to introduce a refreshing side of the group, inspired by a creative
take on Chinese dining customs. The Restaurant consists of main dining, semi private rooms,
VIP rooms and sun-room dining. The design has playfully utilize commonly seen elements
in a Chinese Restaurant and re-juxtapose into a contemporary and sophisticated restaurant
space. The signature fish tanks of Golden Century have inspired a completely new design
being showcased at the entry of THE CENTURY. The fifteen individual aquarium tanks have
been made with double glazed, toughened glass to ensure the best possible insulation and
durability. The frameless construction aims to maximize translucency and visibility between
the entry reception and the main dining room. Raised platform integrates an intricate water
filtering system also creates a stage that offers an unobstructed view of the tanks for the diners
in the main dining room. The design has not only enhanced its aesthetic forms, but by working
with the owner and aquarium specialist, Paring Onions has given birth to a self-contained,
easy maintenance, and inter-changeable fish tanks ‘modular’ system, making this originally
technically challenged design possible.
An area of the restaurant dedicated and affectionately named as the Sun Room, is an enclosed
area with full height glazing and ample natural light to create a perfect area for lunch by day and
twilight by dinner. The hanging light features again are key to creating an eye catching, intimate
dining area. The Sunrooms are also available for reservations for private functions. The lighting
feature seen across the back wall of the semi-private rooms is made up of tea cups hanging
by fibre optics to create a design feature again pays its tribute to symbols of Chinese Cuisine.
The use of lighting in the semi-private rooms creates a surreal ambience and environment for
a different dining experience.
Genuine and natural solid American Oak blocks were used for the construction of the 4 semiprivate
rooms to accentuate the authenticity of this featured space, stimulating the texture and
scent of American Oak Barrels, renowned for the best barrels used during the wine fermentation
process. The same theme and use of American Oak is featured across different parts of the
restaurant with the wine room and bar area. The use of chopsticks was first recorded and dated
back to 1766. It’s simplicity, practicality, and elegance has lasted all these years, without any
need of ‘improvements’, truly an example of a timeless piece of good design. The interiors
of THE CENTURY features a Great Wall of Chopsticks to pay its respect to this imperative
Chinese dining utensil, Paring Onions designed a series of handmade wall tiles compiled by
82,320 chopsticks, creating a unique wall surface and subtle texture that gave characters and
dynamic to THE CENTURY.