Clap Studio Designed Baovan restaurant in Valencia Inspired by the Bao

Valencia-based Clap Studio has designed Baovan, the first restaurant in Valencia specializing in bao, a steamed bun originating in China. The restaurant owners are three childhood friends, Xete, Tito, and Elena. They lived in and traveled around Asia, America, and Africa and fell in love with the flavour and possibilities of the bao when they were in Southeast Asia. With the same adventurous spirit as when they embarked on their travels, they set up a food truck before opening the restaurant in the Ruzafa neighbourhood of Valencia in 2022. The design won in the Colour category of the 2023 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.

Round and crescent forms inspired by the bao appear throughout the space. Windows connecting the exterior to the interior are also in the form of a bao. The interior palette is a duality of colors that draws diners in and out of the water. On the ceiling, the studio recreated a blanket of clouds that brings a magical atmosphere and reflects the lights of the sunset in constant motion. The studio designed custom seating for the space.

Clap Studio explains, “Our challenge was to create an experience following the spirit and personality of Baovan, a brand linked to the sea and with a specific brand identity of ‘beers, beach and baos’. Our goal was to transport diners to a beach from where they watch the sunset and enjoy handmade baos. We created a whole experience around it.” They divided the space into three distinct areas that diners discover. From the exterior, diners experience “the forest” through a porch representing dense vegetation with ropes falling from the ceiling.

Upon crossing the porch, guests enter an area with peach tones that recreate the beach and sun.

The area with a blue palette represents the sunset. A screen in the shape of a half-moon recreates the changing colors of a sunset. Developed by Vitamin Studio, they programmed it to match the duration of a dinner service.

A private area reserved for ten diners recreates the experience of dining in the moonlight at midnight.

Photography by Anna Devís and Daniel Rueda of annandaniel.

Founded in 2017 by Jordi Iranzo and Àngela Montagud, creative director and technical architect respectively, award-winning Valencia-based Clap has a national and global clientele. Focused on the design of experiences through interiors, product and artistic installations their goal is to help brands and institutions connect with their customers through unforgettable experiences. The studio’s philosophy is guided by three key values: simplicity, elegance and playfulness. Following these values, they have carried out projects in, among other cities, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Barcelona and Minsk. Their projects have appeared in Elle Decor (Italy and Japan), Dezeen, and Dwell. The studio has received numerous honours including the 2020 winner of German Design award for the restaurant HER in Hong Kong, and Archilovers Best Project for the boutique Little Stories in Valencia. This project won Restaurant & Bar Design Awards for Best use of Colour (2023), and received a nomination for Building of the year by Archdaily (2022).

Learn more about this studio at Profile: Clap Studio: One to Watch, and Clap Studio Creates First Modular Furniture System for Spanish Firm Missana.