An unremarkable office building in Fuzhou, China, has been transformed by the Yiduan Shanghai International Design studio into a striking restaurant set within “a magical bamboo forest”.

The 2,000sq m (21,500sq ft) Shandao Restaurant features a dramatic and unifying tile facade designed to draw the attention of passers-by.

Inside, winding pathways across five floors and a mezzanine level lead to dining areas separated by multi-layered bamboo partitions. A lobby, banqueting hall, private dining rooms, social catering space and kitchen are all hidden among these makeshift forests, as are the building’s staircases.

Simple cement, straw walls are natural materials have been used to create a space of “purity and simplicity where people will feel peace and contentment”.

“You feel the peaceful breath of nature in this space,” said studio founder Xu Xu-Jun. “We've created an organic, natural environment that combines with the healthy food served here.”

In a design statement, he added that the project is a model of new ideas for restaurant design.

“For a long time, there have been no breakthroughs in the field of restaurant design. Most new designs are just about the shaping of the space, or the arrangement of furniture. They're not attractive and they don’t have features that can touch people’s hearts.

“We wanted to design a restaurant which avoids stereotypes and is actually innovative by really blending nature with the building. As designers, we have the responsibility to play a leading role in improving the quality of our future life and living environments.”