Abstract
The purposes of this study were to examine the characteristics of elements composing the cultural identity of Chinese architectural and spatial design, and to analyze the expression characteristics and influencing factors of contemporary restaurant design. With these purposes, first, this study reviewed related literature in order to find the characteristics of tangible elements observed in intangible elements and space expression characteristics forming the cultural identity of China. Second, this study conducted a case study in order to understand the expression characteristics of the design of Chinese restaurants in Shanghai and to find factors influencing the design. In order to sample the subjects of the case study, the researcher selected 18 restaurants that were recommended repeatedly in books on Chinese restaurants and tourism and major Internet sites or highly evaluated by visitors, and then choose 15 of them that were found to be fit for the purpose of the survey. According to the result of the survey, the restaurants were largely grouped by type into 10 cases of fine dining, 3 of middle-class casual dining, 1 of fast food, and 1 of luxury tea house serving traditional tea and snacks. Of these restaurants, 46.7% (7 cases) were of CM-CM-CM type, namely, using contemporary simple elements in all of external spaces, indoor spaces, and decorations, 20% (3 cases) were of CM-CM-CT type, using contemporary and simple external and indoor spaces, and traditional furniture or articles, 20% (3 cases) were of CT-CM-CT type, using traditional external spaces such as traditional buildings, contemporary simple finishing of indoor spaces, and traditional articles such as palace lanterns and traditional doors and windows, and 13.3% (2 cases) were of CT-CT-CT type, using traditional elements in their original forms in general. Through this research and survey, cultural identity showing Chinese traditions observed in the expression characteristics of restaurant spatial designs was confirmed, and it was also found that the identity was underlain by ideologies, values, lifestyles, etc. that had long accumulated through the long history of the country and exerted a great influence.