“Enamored by contemporary Chinese culture and deeply addicted to Sichuan cusine, I was elated to get Amelie’s email about her new project. Our intention to pair the dynamism of the food with an atmosphere that is equally dream-like and distinct led us to thinking about water, fish, reflectivity, color gradients, and glitter.

A single story space is rare to find in New York so we took advantage by placing 4 skylights in the back room and used the low facade to wash the front room with colored light.  Through a profoundly purple and lavender hall where you get a glimpse of a nine-wok kitchen is the back room, inspired by Chinese winter gardens and hidden atrium spaces. The back room at Mala Greenpoint is a refuge, a calming relief in tones of emerald and pale celery green. With daylight streaming in through skylights above and the sound of an aqua tiled fountain along the North wall — in accordance with guidelines of Feng Shui — the room sits on a glossy pool of deep ocean green which travels upward on a gradient from dark to light. It’s a fun ode to the cool girls of 1990’s Beijing, night markets, and liles.” LD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM JESS LAIRD