
For a Dry Pot Eatery in Brooklyn, Bold Branding Stands Out
2023 Best of Year Winner for Collateral Branding
Sichuanese cuisine is known for its signature mix of má (numbing, or mild) and là (spicy). Together, those add up to the name of MáLà Project, a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, known for its “dry pot” dish, its signature secret sauce nailing the unique flavor combination. Dry pot is no ancient recipe; it emerged in China in the 1990’s. So, MáLà’s branding by Jingqi Fan harkens back to that decade via a nostalgic color scheme and graphics, which integrate Chinese calligraphy to ground the environment in tradition. There’s even a mascot/logo named BènBèn, a playful interpretation of the mythological hero Nezha, there to guide newcomers through their first taste of má and là.

See Interior Design’s Best of Year Winners and Honorees
Explore must-see projects and innovative products that took home high honors.



PROJECT TEAM
JINGQI FAN; GUO MING; LAUREN DOUGHTY; TOBY MORTIMER; ALEXIS JAMET; MATÍAS ENAUT; TIENMIN LIAO; GUANG XU; JONAS LUEBBERS.
read more
Projects
WilmerHale’s New Office Design Reflects a Shift in Its Culture
LSM’s relocated Washington headquarters for law firm WilmerHale both unites staffers, and showcases transparency, blue-chip art and repurposing.
Projects
A Natural Palette Warms an Eye Clinic in Tai Yuan, China
Karv One Design instituted a warm, simple palette that eschews sterility for Starry Ophthalmic Hospital in Tai Yuan, China, instilling a sense of calm.
Projects
Inside the Refreshed Arkansas Museum of Fine Art
Studio Gang creates a new circulation spine that weaves north to south through the Arkansas Museum of Fine Art in Little Rock, Arkansas.
recent stories
Projects
9 Japandi Interior Design Styles Embracing Tranquility
From a serene duplex in Singapore to a peaceful refuge in London, explore these nine Japandi interior design ideas that soothe and inspire.
Projects
Patricia Urquiola Puts Her Stamp On Milan’s Casa Brera Hotel
In Milan, Studio Urquiola transforms a rationalist office building into Casa Brera, a luxury hotel infused with the city’s inimitable charisma and culture.
Projects
How French Heritage Defines AXA Group’s New HQ
Saguez & Partners unified four different Parisian structures, thousands of employees, and a centuries-old insurance company for AXA Group’s headquarters.