Wong Kar Wai Channels Cinematic Style for Prada’s Shanghai Restaurant

Italian fashion house Prada has unveiled Mi Shang, its first standalone fine dining venture in Asia, located within the historic Rongzhai villa in Shanghai.

Designed by acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar Wai, the restaurant draws on cinematic language and architectural nuance to create a dialogue between Milanese and Shanghainese visual cultures.

GALLERY  

Located on the second floor of the 1918-built villa—restored by Prada over six years and opened as a cultural space in 2017—Mi Shang is conceived as a tête-bêche symbiosis, where reflection and duality drive the spatial narrative. Wong, inspired by the mirrored imagery of philately, imbues the project with a deep sense of symmetry and correspondence, aligning Shanghai with Milan both materially and conceptually.

Guests enter via a moody corridor inspired by In the Mood for Love, leading to a library where curated texts explore Chinese craftsmanship and Italian design. A traditional woodblock artwork, Rising Clouds, Blooming Flower, created in collaboration with Duo Yun Xuan Art Centre, anchors the space and nods to Wong’s 1990s-set series Blossoms Shanghai.

To the right, the dining room blends Prada’s contemporary aesthetic with Wong’s cinematic nocturnes. To the left, a pastry shop features cherry wood and brass furnishings reminiscent of Prada’s original 1913 Milan boutique. At the heart of the space is a café designed in the spirit of Shanghai’s 1910s–30s social clubs, with restored scrollwork and bar counters handcrafted by local artisans.

A private study filled with antiques and rare collectibles opens to a garden terrace inspired by Shanghai’s earliest outdoor lounges open to women—a subtle yet symbolic gesture of inclusion and cultural memory.

“The project embraces Wong Kar Wai’s distinctive narrative aesthetics,” Prada said. “Through a refined interplay of reflection and juxtaposition, it fosters a sophisticated dialogue that intertwines art, history, culture, and gastronomy.”

Above the restaurant, the third floor of Rongzhai houses the apartment, a by-appointment-only space showcasing exclusive Prada products and services, further deepening the brand’s cultural presence in China.

Images courtesy of Prada via Dezeen

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