Spot light: with Jean-Pierre Heim

By Zhang Kun (China Daily) Updated: 2009-10-24 07:44

French architect Jean-Pierre Heim has just put the finishing touches on HYX, the easier-to-remember acronym for Hen Yue Xen (House of Eternal Joy), a new restaurant in Century Avenue, Pudong.

The visionary entrepreneur has an international architectural and interior design practice in New York, Paris and Athens. He also attended the University of Illinois for specialized architectural studies and has a degree in the field from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His clients include Van Cleef & Arpels, Revillon, Baccarat, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, and Club Med. His company has also carried out expert renovation work on The Capitol Music Theater in Frankfurt and the LuxorPalace in Dresden.

Q: HYX is a Chinese restaurant that serves Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine. What was your idea behind the design?

A: I wanted to catch the glamor of 1930s' Shanghai and create a unique luxury Shanghai Style for the hotel. The design was focused on the flow of energy so I used lots of curvy lines in the structure. I built the bar like a beehive, with tiny honey colored lights similar to what one would seen when looking out of a window at night. The walls have a special texture and I made the curtains out of metal chain. At first the owner had doubts about this idea, but when she saw the effect, she wanted metal curtains all over the place.

Q: Why are there no paintings or sculptures?

A: It's easy to place art in the design. You can also decorate with flowers. But I don't want to distract people's focus from the food. I can create the luxury atmosphere through the architecture itself, as well as from the table cloths and condiments, et cetera, which were also my design.

When I do a design project, I design everything. The view outside is wonderful. I don't think anybody would be too bothered about the art inside, if there were any.

Q: You've done projects in so many countries. Has the latest financial crisis had much of an impact on world architecture and design?

A: Some countries have grown up rapidly after the crisis, such as China, Singapore and Japan, especially Tokyo. New York is growing up slowly. Paris is always good. Also, some new rising countries are showing great potential such as Russia and Baku. Dubai was heavily hit by the crisis. The former prosperity we saw there was actually quite superficial. But here in Shanghai, everything is built out of real necessity.

Q: We can see the WorldFinancialCenter and the JinmaoTower out of the window of your restaurant. Why are architects so obsessed with building the tallest skyscraper in the world and scaling new heights?

A: Why do people want to be the richest or most beautiful? Why do we keep challenging new heights, always want to live longer and run faster, and be the best at everything? In a way, it's human nature.