Words by Allegra Salvadori | Photographs by Dean Hearne
In Taipei’s Da’an District, a new pâtisserie quietly rewrites the language of hospitality interiors. Founded by Jin Chen and Randy Tuth, designed by Ecru Studio, this richly layered space draws inspiration from 18th-century Parisian salons, Milanese modernism, and poetic Asian references—transforming a compact commercial footprint into an immersive, narrative-driven experience.
Founded in 2011 by one of Taiwan’s first traditional French pastry chefs, Season is a pâtisserie that has long stood for craftsmanship and restraint. When it came time to reimagine the brand’s physical identity, the client invited Ecru Studio to think beyond décor and toward atmosphere.“From the beginning, there was complete trust,” the designers explain—an openness that allowed the project to unfold as a kind of spatial storytelling rather than a conventional retail fit-out.
Housed within a modest 1970s apartment shell, the interior was conceived as a blank canvas. Ecru Studio responded by choreographing four distinct yet interconnected zones: a fresh pastry counter at the entrance, a retail area for giftable sweets, a salon-style seating lounge, and a nine-seat island bar dedicated to plated dessert experiences. The result is fluid and layered, guiding guests from casual takeaway to slow, immersive dining.
Color becomes the primary narrative device. The journey begins in refined shades of blue—chosen by Chef Hung as the cornerstone of Season’s new visual identity—anchoring the pastry and retail areas in calm elegance. Deeper inside, the palette intensifies. Velvet reds, ochres, golds, and theatrical shadows evoke the intimacy of historic Parisian salons, creating a sense of hushed drama that encourages guests to linger. Dusty rose, warm ivory, moss green, and muted gold soften the transition, allowing the space to unfold gradually, almost like memory.
Materiality reinforces this emotional depth. Lime wash, lacquered veneers, and reflective finishes introduce texture and patina, while a bespoke wood floor—referencing 1940s Milanese design—adds quiet sophistication. In deliberate contrast, Asian cultural elements appear subtly and poetically. Upholstery fabrics feature abstract symbolic patterns rooted in regional textile traditions, while a hand-painted mural by local artist Genggeng draws on Shang Dynasty motifs, treated not as spectacle but as a fragment—intentionally restrained, partially revealed.
This balance between expressiveness and control became a guiding principle. During early conversations, Chef Hung spoke of the French pastry philosophy he brought back to Taiwan: knowing when to stop. That idea shaped the entire project. Certain walls are left intentionally bare; ornament is layered but never excessive. “Designing Season was like creating a sensory theater,” the studio reflects. “A place not just to consume, but to feel.”
At once nostalgic and unexpected, European and local, the space stands as a nuanced example of contemporary hospitality design—where interior architecture becomes an extension of brand memory, cultural exchange, and quiet pleasure.
