Food Empire @ Bukit Bintang City Centre
Food unites Malaysians, and the Food Empire – Sense of Malaysia food court celebrates this. Located in Malaysian Grand Bazaar, Bukit Bintang City Centre, the food court spread across 15,000 sq ft seats 418 and has 13 stalls.
Designed by 12 Empire, the overall concept conveys Malaysia’s cultural diversity in a contemporary style. For starters, the entrance features a row of timber profiles reminiscent of traditional Malay rooflines, a homage to vernacular architecture.
Mounted art posters overhead measuring around 80 m in length depict collages of stylised cultural motifs, aiding the visual storytelling.
Bamboo lanterns are overlaid with material printed with traditional Borneo motifs, and their form is a homage to blowpipes used by indigenous East Malaysian tribes.
Dramatic accent lighting is provided by a cluster of large lanterns combining elements from Malaysia’s three primary races. The gasing (spinning top) shape references Malay culture, while bold red is a nod to the Chinese love for the colour, and it’s adorned with intricate Indian rangoli patterns.
Large columns were a challenging feature, and to overcome this, the designers used parametric design to create cladding resembling majestic tree trunks. This is a throwback to gathering under a big tree as a united nation.