Vari Architects Transforms Chongqing Pavilion into Italian Restaurant LAGO

Vari Architects, led by Qi Fan, has completed LAGO Italian Family Kitchen, a 360-square-meter restaurant in Chongqing, China. The project, finished in 2025, converted a waterfront pavilion near Yihe Park into an Italian countryside dining venue. The design uses breathable wood and lightweight metal in wave-like forms, surrounded by cedar trees and oriented toward a bright lake. The name 'Lago' is Italian for 'lake,' inspired by Thoreau's Walden cabin. The architects aimed to translate Walden's stillness and clarity into an architectural narrative within an urban park setting. The project team included Chen Mingli, Yang Qiyi, Zhang Xiangqi, and Wang Liu. Photographs were taken by Wenqiao Zhu.