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Canadian studio Ste Marie has designed Meo cocktail bar and restaurant influenced by 1970s and ’80s Hong Kong in Vancouver‘s Chinatown, using pink hues, floral patterns and red accents.
Meo is tucked into the lower storey of a faded building in the heart of the neighbourhood, the largest of its kind in Canada, and is a sister location to Bao Bei a few blocks away and Kissa Tanto next door.
Ste Marie was heavily influenced by the “hedonistic energy” of the 1970s and ’80s when designing the interiors, and looked to the imagery of Canadian photographer Greg Girard – who documented Kowloon Walled City during the era — for references.
“The dimly lit room is aesthetically inspired by Greg Girard’s series on Hong Kong nightlife in the ’70s and ’80s, and by the clandestine ‘love motels’ of a bygone era,” said the studio.
To evoke these spaces, plush pink drapery and lush carpeting with vintage floral patterns were added throughout the dining and bar areas.
Bold red accents are introduced through 1970s Guzzini pendant lights, which pop against the dark wood panelling across portions of the walls.
A raised area with angled steps follows the dropped ceiling and is wrapped by a banquette that serves rows of small tables.
At the back, a painterly scene of mountains, flora and buildings is reflected in a series of mirrors on the perpendicular wall.
Other built-in seating areas are tucked into corners and niches, while guests can also sit at leather-covered stools along the wood-panelled bar.
Warm soft lighting from a variety of pendants, sconces, cove lights and bar-top lamps creates a sultry mood, and allows the illuminated blue front of a jukebox to stand out.
“A glowing old-school jukebox, reminiscent of Girard’s photos, adds a sense of nostalgia and novelty to the richly textured atmosphere,” the studio said.
Several curios and decor items – many of them feline-themed – were sourced by the owner from thrift stores in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, artworks include a portrait of a Persian cat found at a garage sale and a vinyl-printed mural of a photograph taken inside a North Korean hotel.
“These elements, combined with the plush pink monochromatic interiors inspired by motel bedspreads, create an immersive environment that transports guests back in time,” said Ste Marie. “Meo invites with warmth and wonder: a playful escape where the night is always young and full of possibilities.”
The studio, known for its narrative approach to contemporary interiors, was founded by Craig Stanghetta and has offices in both Vancouver and Toronto.
Other hospitality projects by the firm include an artisanal flour shop and bakery with “malty hues”, a tapas joint wrapped in terracotta tiles and a cosy Italian cafe imagined as a den for a pet fox.
Girard’s photographs of Kowloon, compiled in a book titled The City of Darkness, also influenced the production design of 2019 sci-fi movie Alita: Battle Angel.
Love motels like those in Kowloon are not exclusive to Hong Kong – architectural photographers have documented these spaces for sex in Santo Domingo and across Brazil over the years too.
The photography is by Conrad Brown.