山下一九
衢味餐厅

ART DIRECTOR: Bowen Hou
DESIGNER: mushroom ahead team
YEAR: 2024
LOCATION: Hangzhou
CLIENT: 山下一九

山下一九（Downhill 19） is a brand name of Quzhou (a city in western Zhejiang Province) Cuisine Hot & Spicy. Quzhou restaurants are typically associated with rustic décor and spicy flavors. As Downhill 19 is located in a commercial area of Hangzhou’s Binjiang district, where office spaces mix with trendy businesses, the challenge for us was to visually blend a “refined restaurant in a business district” with “local street cuisine”, the two seemingly opposing stereotypes.We decided to retain the raw, stimulating aesthetics of traditional Quzhou eateries and incorporated a modern, structured bilingual design in a relaxed and playful typography, so as to achieve a balance that appeals to all tastes.

Downhill 19 logo was designed to shift seamlessly between graphical and typographical elements. We innovated on the character “一” (one) to create a mountain-like staircase structure, giving a sense of movement. These elements were then reassembled into various graphic forms, like mountains, steps, or rooftops, allowing for imaginative interpretations. By applying these variations to the restaurant’s materials, we enhanced both brand richness and recognition.