about this project
lili is a 7-week project which paid emphasis on designing a (metal) object for Massimo Bottura for his restaurant based on his culinary philosophies into a physical object. What intrigued me about him was his belief that his food was a multi-faceted experience rather than just a culinary one. He designed his menu such that each dish from his eight-course meal was not a standalone dish but rather, an experience he creates one goes through with each dish.
This concept of “evolving” as the diner goes through eight-course meal was one I wanted to emulate in the design. I chose to design a blooming centrepiece as it would reflect the growth of the diner going through the meal, gradually revealing itself throughout the eight-course meal lili takes reference from lanterns and mimosa plants for its expanding element, while the expanding follows the principles of thermal expansion through bimetallic strips.
