This issue of Space focuses on all kinds of restaurants from different parts of the world. The restaurants are a visual treat so that we enjoy a riot of colours; an exciting balance of light and dark or pools of glowing soft lights; and sleek or tactile finishes. We can just imagine the excited crowds, or intimate patrons, that these restaurants attract, and the heady aromas that waft! After going through these designs, you will notice a common thread. Designers the world over are showing a greater concern for the environment. The modern ethic is to salvage and re-use. Discarded (and sometimes even lowly) objects such as Y sockets find a new lease of life as chandeliers. It's not the collection of designer objects that ensures success but rather how the designer carefully brings diverse elements together. Designers are forever asked what inspires them. The answer to that is just about everything - movies, books, painting, periods of time in history, location! What is unusual this year is that in Hong Kong/ China, at least three projects were inspired by the humble egg. Also in this issue, we have low-budget eateries with a very dedicated clientele ? the school canteen. These are simple but challenging for requiring good space planning and multiple usage. We have a number of award-winning restaurants but occasionally, at the other end of the scale, designers just want to have fun. How else can you explain the statue of a pig that revolves every hour in the middle of a restaurant? Patrons love it
