Sensory Architecture Design in Urban China: Simple Cuisine Gallery by HAS Design and Research

Reconnecting City Life with Nature Through Sensory Architecture

In the heart of Anhui, China, the Simple Cuisine Gallery by HAS design and research redefines how we perceive and interact with architectural spaces. This 420-square-meter project by architects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee transforms a kitchen and lifestyle showroom into a profound sensory journey, merging nature, sustainability, and cultural awareness into a single architectural experience. Surrounded by rigid concrete buildings and commercial sprawl, the gallery rises as a beacon of sustainable and emotional urban design.

From Concrete Surroundings to Forested Oasis

While the site lies embedded within a monotonous grid of glass towers and residential blocks, the architects discovered an unexpected forest path adjacent to the project. This narrow strip of nature—overlooked and seemingly insignificant—leads to a tranquil waterfall, revealing an untouched piece of serenity in the chaos of the city. HAS used this discovery as a foundational inspiration, shaping the Simple Cuisine Gallery around the concept of rediscovering nature in the urban jungle.

A Waterfall-Inspired Architectural Language

Drawing inspiration from the waterfall's movement, the gallery's exterior features hundreds of vertical façade elements that mimic cascading water. These textured and flowing surfaces act not just as visual metaphors but as sculptural expressions of vitality. The facades bend and move, forming a valley-like entrance void that leads into a long interior space, covered by a linear skylight. This progression of space creates a sensory transformation, evoking a sense of ritual and calm as one transitions from the outside world into a contemplative interior.

The Light Core: Spiritual Center of the Gallery

At the center of the building lies the Light Core, an axial, multi-use atrium that evokes the feeling of a hidden cave behind a waterfall. This architectural heart is intentionally ambiguous in function—it becomes a peaceful retreat during quiet moments, and a lively venue for culinary classes, artistic exhibitions, and cultural workshops when activated. The Light Core showcases HAS's belief in emotional sustainability, allowing architecture to support mental and spiritual well-being.

Immersive Kitchen Galleries: Engaging All Senses

Within the gallery, six sensory kitchen spaces serve as a hybrid between lifestyle showroom and experiential installation. These spaces integrate sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste into their architectural narratives. Natural light filters through curved openings, shadows dance on the textured surfaces, and the gentle sound of water resonates throughout. The aroma of prepared food mixes with the tactile quality of grainy wood and flowing surfaces, turning each space into a multi-sensory environment. Visitors are not passive observers but active participants in a curated lifestyle experience.

Redefining Urban Showrooms with Cultural Meaning

More than a kitchen showroom, the Simple Cuisine Gallery acts as a cultural and ecological landmark. It breaks away from traditional commercial architecture by embedding environmental awareness and emotional intelligence into every surface. The project calls for a rethinking of how cities can evolve—not by adding more buildings, but by creating more meaningful, healing spaces within them. Through this gallery, HAS design and research demonstrate how sensory architecture design can reconnect the city with its natural roots, and offer people a soulful alternative to sterile urbanism.

Architecture as Sensory Healing

The Simple Cuisine Gallery is a testament to architecture's power to go beyond form and function. It embodies how design can be a healing, sensory-rich experience that reawakens our relationship with nature—even in the heart of an urban setting. By combining flowing forms, light, sound, and multi-functional use, HAS has set a new benchmark for sensory architecture design in China and beyond.

All the photographs are works of W Workspace