London and Hong Kong-based creative studio Unknown Works has created a 33sq m (355sq ft) restaurant in China called Scotts TKL based on the 3D scans of fish and chip shops from around the UK.

The project was based on the concept of 'Shanzai' – the act of copying and imitating that is often ascribed to Chinese businesses – and seeks to ask questions about Sino-British relationships and cultural exchange.

Ben Hayes of Unknown Works told CLAD that the project was borne out of a company project looking at scanning technologies and a client request to animate a corner unit in Chengdu.

Lidar technology was used to scan the exteriors and interiors of the existing fish and chip shops, capturing details façades, joinery, salt shakers, trinkets and wallpaper textures.

The data collected was then used to create a library of architectural and elements that informed the design of Scotts TKL.

To make efficient use of the limited space available, a façade was created with mobile walls that swing open onto the street and sections that rotate vertically to create built-in tabletops.

Customers move along a counter to order and collect their meals, taking them through the linear process of preparation.

The floors, walls, and counter are covered in a white, tiled grid graphic that recalls the tiling of many typical fish and chip shops, with the large structural sections cast from Glass Reinforced Plastic.

Scotts TKL is so-called because of its location in the Taikoo Li shopping district of Chengdu and Xi Jinping's 2015 visit to Scotts Fish and Chip shop in York that raised fish and chips in the Chinese consciousness.

The process of scanning began in April this year, followed by six weeks of fabrication. The restaurant opened for business in early October.