The Flow of Ecstatic is a bar in Dongguan, China, designed by Daosheng Design with an all-grey interior featuring a swooping ceiling sculpture of bamboo.
Located in the city's business district, the bar counter is topped by stainless steel, the walls are covered in textured grey silk and the floors are tiled in a matching grey.
Top: the stainless steel bar counter. Above: swooping bamboo decoration
A looping bamboo sculpture is suspended from the ceiling. Daosheng Design said this is intended to evoke the brushstrokes of traditional Chinese calligraphy and the movements of the dragon dance.
This dance is performed on festive occasions and involves a team of dancers moving in synchronicity under a colourful silk dragon costume.
The serpentine bamboo shape is designed to be evocative of this fluid and dynamic performance. A sculpture perches on the bar
Daosheng Design said the studio deliberately designed the bar to encourage patrons to decompress from their hectic urban lifestyles.
"Life and entertainment should be two sides," said the designers.
"However, in the era of rapid development, life sped by, and modern people hurried to catch up, and it was difficult to slow down and enjoy life."
Different seating areas occupy corners of the bar
Different seating areas invite different forms of leisure activity, such as high brass-backed stools at the bar for sampling drinks or tables with banquettes for dining.
Groupings of triangular stools cluster around low...