Kengo Kuma designs London sushi restaurant with undulating wooden bench
Japanese studio Kengo Kuma and Associates has refurbished the interiors of the Endo at the Rotunda sushi restaurant at the former BBC Television Centre in London. More
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Future Simple Studio creates “brutalist and serene” sushi restaurant in Canada
Montreal-based architecture office Future Simple Studio has designed minimalist interiors with white oak and textured concrete for a sushi restaurant in Quebec City. More
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Laurence Bonnel creates tactile restaurant interior informed by Japanese archipelago
Artworks are dotted throughout the interior of restaurant L’Abysse Monte Carlo in Monaco, for which its designers Laurence Bonnel and Rowin Atelier took cues from the Seto Inland Sea archipelago.
Bonnel, who led the design and is the founder of Paris art gallery Scene Ouverte, also drew on the food served at the restaurant when creating the design.
Headed up by chef Yannick Alléno and sushi connoisseur Yasunari Okazak, L’Abysse Monte Carlo mixes French cuisine with Japanese culinary traditions.
L’Abysse Monte Carlo has an interior filled with artwork”The design has been inspired by the atmosphere Yannick Alléno wanted for the Abysse – precious and warm, a French vision of the way you feel in Japan,” Bonnel told Dezeen.
“The sea, as it is a sushi restaurant, has also inspired the design,” she added.“Monte Carlo’s unique blend of French Riviera chic and international flair also influenced the design. I also wanted to create a sense of clarity, so upon entering, one feels immediately transported, as if stepping away from the world.”
Pale pink chairs contrast against a dark blue rugBonnel has mixed materials including marble, travertine, wood, ceramics and velvet for the interior of the 90-square-metre restaurant, which is located inside the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
“I worked with ceramic and porcelain for their connection to Japanese ‘savoir-faire’, and the special soul they bring to a space – I’m an absolute lover of ceramics,” Bonnel explained.
“The Versylis marble has a light grey tone with a hint of pink – I went to choose the panels myself and it is reminiscent of a Japanese mountain drawing inside the stone,” she added. “I chose velvet fabric to bring the softness and warmth.”
The Coral Wall installation adds texture to the spaceL’Abysse Monte Carlo’s interior also features artworks that evoke the sea, including artist William Coggin’s Coral Wall installation.
“Art always enhances an interior, it gives life and soul to a space,” Bonnel said. “It also gives a special, sweet, warm atmosphere with a spectacular effect: you feel to be in a special place while feeling very comfortable.”
The white ceramic wall decorations feature 3D forms that rise from the surface and resemble coral reefs, sand dunes and ocean waves.
“The coral colour of William’s ceramic wall was the first choice, followed by the very light wood of the bar, which led me to the Versylis marble,” Bonnel said.
An indigo rug fills the floor at L’Abysse Monte CarloBonnel worked with Rowin Atelier on a large indigo rug that covers the restaurant floor and nods to the indigo dye Ao blue, which is traditionally produced on the island of Shikoku near the Seto Sea and used for prints.
“I wanted to retain the dark blue from the Paris location [of the hotel], so I collaborated with Rowin Atelier to incorporate this colour into the rug, creating a wave-like effect,” Bonnel explained.ORA utilises LA’s fallen street trees inside Uchi West Hollywood restaurant
“The sofas, also dark blue, are part of this wave,” she added. “I chose the soft pink seats to complement the Versylis marble and add warmth.”
The restaurant also features pieces by artists Célia Bertrand, Silver Sentimenti and Caroline Désile.
Designer Laurence Bonnel drew on influences from France and JapanThe decision to base the restaurant on the Seto Inland Sea archipelago came about as it has a recognisable geography, which is often depicted on the Japanese prints made with dye from the Shikoku island.
“The Seto Inland Sea, with its thousands of islands and jagged coastline, served as our inspiration,” Rowin Atelier told Dezeen.
“Our aesthetic desire was based on Japanese prints (Ukiyo-e) and the indigo colour, combined with the region’s distinctive geography,” the studio added.
“It is also an idea of the shore where the waves run aground. The Shikoku island is the traditional island of indigo culture.”
Soft pink seats were chosen to add warmth to the spaceOther Japanese restaurants recently featured on Dezeen include one in Los Angeles decorated with fallen street trees and another in Paris with an interior informed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs.
The photography is by Sébastien Veronese.Read more: More
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ORA utilises LA’s fallen street trees inside Uchi West Hollywood restaurant
Vertical fins of live-edge wood, which was sourced from fallen street trees, divide spaces at this Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles by local studio ORA.
Uchi West Hollywood is the first West Coast location for chef Tyson Cole’s Austin-based chain, operated by Hai Hospitality Group.
Fallen street trees sourced from across LA form spatial dividers through the restaurantSituated on a prominent corner along Santa Monica Boulevard, the 5,200-square-foot (483-square-metre) restaurant seats 160 covers amongst a timber-dominant interior.
“We collaborated closely with local artists, makers and craftsmen, elevating humble natural materials to create a sense of surprise and connection to the unexpected natural beauty and spirit of our city,” said ORA founding principal Oonagh Ryan.
Custom pieces created for the space include a sculptural light fixture by Kazuki Takizawa above the bar counterOne of the main collaborations for this project was with Angel City Lumber, which sourced wood from 25 Aleppo Pine trees that had fallen across 14 different city neighbourhoods.“With an average diameter of 30 inches and an average length of nine feet, nearly 26 tons of local LA trees were turned into wood for Uchi,” said the team.
The live-edge wood boards trace sinuous lines through the space, creating more intimate seating areasThe 42 logs from these trees were cut into live-edge boards of varied lengths, and suspended vertically from the restaurant’s ceiling to form spatial dividers.
The panels follow sinuous lines that demarcate seating areas, and are followed around the top by vertical wood bands that conceal cove lighting designed by Dot Dash.
Travertine is mounted behind the sushi barIn between, hand-troweled plaster across the ceiling helps to improve acoustics in the space.
Meanwhile, custom concrete planters by landscape firm SBLA run underneath the dividers and extend out to a patio with further dining space.
Light boxes above the banquettes create silhouettes of the decorative objects displayed in frontThe remainder of the earth-toned material palette is dominated by woods such as white oak and walnut, complemented by upholstery from Maharam, Knoll and Carol Leather.
At the perimeter, bespoke booth seating by ORA is placed below glowing light boxes that create silhouettes of decorative objects displayed on shelves in front.Stitched brick wall welcomes guests to Uchi Miami restaurant by Michael Hsu
Striations in travertine panels mounted behind both the sushi bar and drinks bar are accentuated by thin metal shelves for storing dishes and bottles respectively.
Also in the bar area, a custom sculptural light fixture created by LA artist Kazuki Takizawa to evoke cherry blossoms hangs above the end of the stone counter.
Custom concrete planters below the wooden board dividers extend out to the patio dining areaBoth the solid white oak and brass bar stools by Lawson-Fenning and the handmade ceramic lamps by Ceramicah were made locally.
Other California-based artists represented in the space include Liisa Liiva, Molly Haynes, Rajiv Khilnani and Rachel Duvall.
The corridor to the bathrooms is lined with thin wooden stripsThe bathrooms are reached via a corridor lined with thin vertical wooden strips, and are themselves clad in dark grey tiles.
Uchi – which means “house” in Japanese – also has locations in Austin, Miami, Dallas and Denver, while its sister brand Uchiko has an outpost in Houston designed by Michael Hsu.
The photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.
Project credits:
Architect: ORAInterior design: ORAFurniture and accessories: Hai Hospitality and ORALighting: Dot DashLandscape: Stephen Billings Landscape ArchitectsStructural: Nous EngineeringMechanical: Engineered SolutionsElectrical: TEK Engineering GroupFoodservice design: MyersContractor: Build GroupLumber shop: Angel City LumberMillwork fabricator: Architectural Woodwork of MontanaRead more: More
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Rudy Guénaire draws on American modernism for Matsuri restaurant interior
French designer Rudy Guénaire has created the interiors of Japanese restaurant Matsuri in Paris, combining wooden furniture covered in lacquer with pastel-coloured domes informed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, the 200-square-metre restaurant was given a full redesign by Guénaire.
As the menu focuses on “Japanese sushi from a Californian angle”, Guénaire drew on Japonisme – the Western fascination with Japanese design – for its interior.
Matsuri is located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement”I drew on everything that has marked me from these two countries that I adore,” Guénaire, who runs Nightflight Studio, told Dezeen.
“From Japan, I took this idea that fascinates me, which is that the Japanese frame everything,” he added.“As if everything had to be an island, firmly delimited by something that protects it and makes it unique.”
Rudy Guénaire referenced American modernist design for the interiorThe American influence comes across in the shapes used to decorate the interior, which features colourful ceiling domes that are lit from the inside.
“From California, I took these incredible obliques that make me melt,” Guénaire said. “The kind you find in Frank Lloyd Wright or John Lautner’s work.”
“A slant that recalls the Native American tent, the primordial shelter,” he added.
“American modernists loved Japan and sometimes, they’d never even been there. It’s this Japonism that I wanted to prolong.”
The restaurant features Japanese postersAt the centre of Matsuri is the kaiten – conveyor belt – on which the sushi comes out. The designer used wood throughout the restaurant and covered it in lacquer for this centrepiece.
“The kaiten is covered in high-gloss lacquer, reminiscent of the beautiful lacquer worshipped by the Chinese and then the Japanese,” he said.
“I used wood throughout because in Japan, everything is made of wood, that’s just the way it is and has to be!”
The central kaiten was covered in glossy lacquerPastel-hued domes decorate the ceiling above the kaiten, creating soft lighting and adding a touch of colour to the mainly white and wood interior.
“For the ceiling, I think I got the idea from the amazing ceiling of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Penfield House,” Guénaire said.
“I used industrial skydomes that I turned upside down and lit from the inside.”Space tourism informs design of Ichi Station sushi restaurant in Milan
The colour was toned down to create the right atmosphere for the restaurant.
“We set up a sophisticated lighting system with very subtle colour control,” Guénaire added.
“I chose cheerful, very American colour bases, and then, we subtly desaturated them to approach the Japanese aesthetic where nothing is ever garish.”
Guénaire added pastel-coloured domes to the ceilingGuénaire also designed chairs for Matsuri that draw on those found in traditional Izakayas – Japanese pubs – though he says the original ones don’t correspond to his memories of them.
“While searching for photos of Izakaya, I never found this chair shape,” the designer said.
“Yet, as I recall, it’s exactly this chair that I’ve seen everywhere. All small and cute,” he added.
“Maybe that’s what Japonism is all about. You invent a lot when you think you’re bringing back memories.”
The designer created chairs that reference Izakaya furnitureThe interior of Matsuri, which is part of a restaurant chain founded in 1986 by a French-Japanese couple, is also decorated with old posters brought back from Japan.
“We always have friends coming back from Japan. We asked them for a little help!” Guénaire said.
Other Japanese restaurants on Dezeen include a sushi restaurant and sake bar with oxblood tiles and the Aragawa steakhouse selling “UK’s most expensive steak”.
The photography is by Ludovic Balay.Read more: More
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Pirajean Lees draws on Japanese and Spanish design for Kioku restaurant and bar
Studio Pirajean Lees paired oxblood tiles with intricate wooden joinery at the Kioku sushi restaurant and sake bar, within central London’s OWO hotel, to reference the head chef ‘s travels.
Kioku consists of a bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the top floor of the hotel within the Grade II*-listed Old War Office on Whitehall, which once housed the British government’s military departments.
Pirajean Lees created Kioku, meaning “memory” in Japanese, to capture sushi master Endo Kazutoshi’s recollections of living and working in Japan and Spain.
Kioku bar is located on the ground floor of The OWOLocated on the ground floor of the hotel, the single-room bar is accessed via a door framed with smooth timber joinery informed by the traditional Japanese carpentry technique Sashimono.
Guests are greeted by a bespoke oak reception desk featuring embroidered floral textiles and mesh detailing as well as a light-controlled sake cellar clad with patchwork cork panels.All of Kioku’s furniture was custom-made by Pirajean Lees, explained studio co-founder James Lees.
The bar features a light-controlled sake cellar”We share a passion for storytelling and an obsession with details, from the way your hand touches the backrest of a chair, to the height of the table,” said the designer.
“From the outset, we knew that the level of attention to detail in the interior had to match that found in the food being served.”
Japanese records can be played on a bespoke turntableThe bar’s floor plan was subtly stepped to provide “elevated views” for each of its intimate seating areas, rather than relegate guests to hidden corners of the room, said Lees.
A wide selection of sake is served at an oversized and curved central bar designed with knobbly timber cladding.
Kioku restaurant is located on the hotel’s rooftopHandcrafted tiles and a gridded carpet finished in oxblood red were used to create the flooring, while deep red dado and natural clay walls also nod to the space’s Spanish influence.
In one corner, a bespoke turntable is positioned for guests to play a selection of Japanese records from Endo’s personal collection.
Bow details were carved into the dining chairsThe Kioku restaurant is contained within a long room on the north side of the hotel’s rooftop, with panoramic views of central London. Entered through timber double doors, the eatery features similar design accents to the bar.
Wooden frames and boxy mirrored “portals” were used to delineate spaces within the main dining area, which includes L-shaped banquettes and oak dining chairs upholstered with Japanese embroidered silk.
The chef’s table was positioned opposite the open kitchenBow details were carved into the chairs to emulate the seating at Endo’s favourite hotel in the city of Yokohama. Subtle versions of the bow motif are echoed downstairs on the bar’s wooden tables.
Pirajean Lees constructed a private dining room with a chef’s table at one end of the restaurant, built above an intimate outdoor cigar terrace that overlooks The OWO’s central courtyard.
Panoramic views of central London can be seen from the main terraceEncased by a curved glass roof, the extension was positioned opposite the open kitchen to allow guests to watch their dishes being prepared. Retractable mesh screens were also fitted for privacy.
The main terrace includes timber dining tables and chairs with Mediterranean-style terracotta and mustard upholstery surrounded by lush plants.Pirajean Lees channels 1920s Japan in ornate Dubai restaurant interior
At the end of the terrace, a historic turret overlooking St James’ Park and Horse Guards Parade features another eight-seat private dining room with soft linen curtains and an oak table illuminated by an oversized rice paper pendant light.
Pirajean Lees chose a striking yellow rug for the circular floor to reference the sun, while the round ceiling was hand-painted with an inky indigo mural by British artist Tess Newall in an ode to the contrasting moon – recognisable motifs found in Japanese mythology.
A historic turret houses another private dining space”We design to create emotional spaces grounded in their story, rather than interiors purely driven by aesthetics,” reflected studio co-founder Clémence Pirajean.
Founded in 2017 by Pirajean and Lees, the studio has applied its eclectic style to various other London projects – from the “timeless” interiors of music venue Koko’s members’ club to a Mayfair restaurant with an Arts and Crafts-style design.
The photography is by Polly Tootal.Read more: More
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Lanterns dangle through hole between floors in “UK’s most expensive steak” restaurant
Interiors studio Rosendale Design used paper pendants to illuminate hand-painted red-and-gold walls in the first overseas outpost of Japanese steakhouse Aragawa in London.
Set across two floors in a Mayfair townhouse, the restaurant is widely credited as serving the “UK’s most expensive steak” – a £900 cut of wagyu beef from Shiga prefecture.
Rosendale Design created the interiors for a Japanese steakhouse in MayfairCharacterised by a rich palette of deep reds, golds and dark woods, the interior of the steakhouse was “heavily influenced by traditional Japanese architecture and design”, Rosendale Design founder Dale Atkinson told Dezeen.
“We gave it a contemporary twist in a subtle way so it didn’t become kitsch,” he said.
Pendant lights dangle through a void between the ground floor and basementUpon entering Aragawa, visitors pass through an archway that frames a wood-panelled reception area painted in pale green.From here, a corridor leads past a wine display cabinet that wraps around the back wall with skylights providing natural illumination.
A private dining room with seats for 12 guests is accessed through glass and wood doors, with a slatted wooden screen partially obstructing the view into the space.
A Japanese kiln is surrounded by blue tiles in the kitchenPendant lamps that take cues from traditional Japanese paper lanterns hang through a mirror-lined void between the ground floor and the basement, providing views of the main restaurant below.
“The lanterns are one of the key features that are first experienced at ground level but drop down through the opening in the floor and are then a prevalent feature in the main dining room,” said Atkinson.
“We looked at traditional Japanese lanterns and gave it a bit of a contemporary twist.”
More lanterns hang from the latticed ceiling in the dining roomStairs lead down to the restaurant past an open kitchen, divided from the seating area via an uplit rough-textured counter.
Cornflower-blue tiles clad the walls in the kitchen, where Rosendale Design installed a Japanese kiln.Child Studio transforms 60s London post office into Maido sushi restaurant
Used to prepare Aragawa’s speciality, Japanese Kobe beef, the kiln was modelled on the model found in the original Aragawa restaurant in Tokyo, which opened in 1967 and became known as one of the priciest steak houses in the world.
“The feature kiln is the main connection between the restaurants in Tokyo and London,” said Atkinson.
“We worked with a local manufacturer to copy as best we could the kiln in Tokyo but dress it in a way that matches the London design ethos.”
Hand-painted red-and-gold panels line the walls of the dining spaceMore lanterns are suspended from the dark wood lattice ceiling in the primary dining space.
“The feature ceiling is referencing traditional Japanese castles,” explained Atkinson.
Soft lighting illuminates the red-and-gold panels that line the walls of the dining area, hand-painted with patterns derived from Nishijin silk kimonos.
Rosendale Design opted for crimson-red velvet-lined seatingThe red colour palette is continued in the red velvet-lined seating, contrasting against white tablecloths.
“We made sure to play with the saturation of colours to make it more dramatic and romantic,” said Atkinson.
Other Japanese restaurants recently featured on Dezeen include a noodle restaurant in a century-old townhouse in Kyoto and a restaurant in Alberta that combines Japanese psychedelia and cabins.
The photography is by Justin De Souza.Read more: More
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Stingray-shaped roof crowns Maldives restaurant by Atelier Nomadic
A bamboo canopy modelled on stingrays tops Overwater Restaurant, which architecture studio Atelier Nomadic has added to a lagoon in the Maldives.
The Japanese restaurant is raised on an existing jetty that extends out from the shore and has a bamboo structure with tree-like columns to support its wavy roof.
Drawing inspiration from the surrounding water, Atelier Nomadic designed its form to resemble the shape of pink whiprays, a species of stingray found in the lagoon.
Atelier Nomadic has added a Japanese restaurant to a lagoon in the Maldives”Maldives is known for its spectacular underwater life,” studio creative director Olav Bruin told Dezeen.
“We aimed to bring this sub-aquatic theme to the surface in an architectural form, without being too literal,” he continued.“For the main shape, we found inspiration in the pink whiprays that graze in the lagoon, as it was a convenient form to cover the open-air dining space.”
The wavy roof is informed by a local species of stingrayAccessed beyond the long stretch of the boardwalk, the restaurant’s entrance is set under the lower and slimmer portion of the roof, which is intended to represent the tail of a stingray.
A network of tree-like columns, which are formed from three angled lengths of bamboo, is arranged underneath the structure and extends from the entrance to the end of the jetty.
A boardwalk provides access between the shore and the restaurant”This system allowed us to make an organic form from straight bamboo poles that provide stability to the structure in all directions,” Bruin explained.
“By coincidence, we realised only after the structure was built that the interior space feels a bit like the mouth of a giant manta ray, with its rhythm of gills that filter plankton out of the seawater.”Shigeru Ban designs Infinite Maldives resort around landscaped gardens
The undulating bamboo structure of the roof sits on top of the columns, reaching its peak at a spine-like ridge. It is clad externally in timber shingles, which the studio hopes will resemble fish scales after ageing.
“Timber shingles age gracefully and gain a grey-silverish patina over time,” said Bruin. “Together with the layered pattern, the roof will resemble the scales of a fish.”
The structure is built from a network of bamboo columnsSet on either side of a walkway where the jetty widens are two bamboo-clad volumes, painted black, which hold the kitchen and bathrooms.
The bar, coated in the same black bamboo, sits beyond the two blocks. It marks the transition into a large open-plan dining area filled with furnishings that match the colour of the bamboo structure.
A lounge area sits at the end of the restaurantBeyond the covered dining space, the jetty steps down to a more casual, open seating area furnished with curved sofas and armchairs.
At the end of the jetty is a swimming pool split across two levels, while white nets used as overwater seating areas wrap around the outer edges of the restaurant.
The roof is clad in timber shingles intended to mimic scalesOther oceanside projects in the Maldives include a proposal for a garden-filled resort by Shigeru Ban and a complex made up of wooden villas that sit on an artificial island.
In a recent interview with Dezeen, Atelier One engineer Chris Matthews said bamboo has the potential to be as dominant in construction as concrete and steel.
The photography is by Joe Chua Agdeppa.
Project credits:
Architect: Atelier NomadicClient: Banyan TreeDesign team: Olav Bruin, with Louis Thompson, Habiba MukhtaContractor: Asali BaliRead more: More
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Soba restaurant Kawamichiya takes over century-old townhouse in Kyoto
Japanese studios Td-Atelier and Endo Shorijo Design have transformed a townhouse in Kyoto into a noodle restaurant that combines traditional residential details with modern geometric interventions.
Kawamichiya Kosho-An is an outpost of soba restaurant Kawamichiya, which can trace its history of creating dishes using buckwheat noodles back more than 300 years.
Diners enter Kawamichiya Kosho-An via a small gardenIt occupies a 110-year-old property in the downtown Nakagyo Ward that retained several features typical of traditional Japanese houses, including a lattice-screened facade and an alcove known as a tokonoma.
Architect Masaharu Tada and designer Shorijo Endo collaborated on the townhouse’s conversion into a 143-square-metre restaurant, restoring some of the original elements while adapting others to suit its new purpose.
Changes in floor height delineate different dining areas”Originally it looked like a townhouse with an elaborate design, but various modifications were made for living and those designs were hidden or destroyed,” said Tada.“Therefore, we tried to restore the elements of the townhouse such as hidden or lost design windows and alcoves and add new geometry to them to revive them as a new store.”
Guests can sit on floor cushions in the traditional Japanese parlourA lattice screen at the front of the building was restored to help preserve its residential aesthetic, while renovations were carried out on walls, pillars and eaves within the open-air entrance passage.
The entryway leads to a small genkan-niwa garden, where paving stones are laid to create a path using a traditional technique known as shiki-ishi.2m26 references traditional food carts for mobile all-in-one ramen restaurant
Customers enter Kawamichiya Kosho-An through a small retail area containing freestanding partitions that allow the original wooden ceiling structure to remain visible.
Built-in bench seating is positioned along one wall and a window seat offers a view of the street outside. Customers here can eat with their shoes on, while beyond this space they are required to remove footwear as is customary when entering a Japanese house.
Many of the building’s traditional lattice screens were retainedThe use of different materials and changes in floor height help to delineate areas within the restaurant and create a range of experiences. Guests can choose to sit on chairs in a porch-like space known as a doma or on floor cushions in the traditional Japanese parlour.
The kitchen is positioned at the centre of the building and is set slightly lower than the surrounding floors, allowing staff working behind the counter to have a clear view of each diner.
“We control the line of sight to the audience, the garden and the street by the height of each floor,” Tada said. “As a result, it is an original townhouse element […] and a new design that fuses old and new.”
One of the upstairs rooms features a curved funazoko-tenjo ceilingSome of the existing features that help to preserve the building’s character include the tokonoma alcove in a room on the first floor, which also has a curved wooden ceiling known as a funazoko-tenjo.
In Kawamichiya Kosho-An’s main dining area, a tokonoma was replaced with a low decorative shelf while the original screened window in this space was retained. Traditional wooden doors and paper shoji screens were also adapted and used to partition the space.
The restaurant is set in a converted townhouse in KyotoTada studied at Osaka University before founding his studio in 2006. He has collaborated on several projects with Endo, who completed a master’s in plastic engineering at the Kyoto Institute of Technology before establishing his studio in 2009.
The pair’s previous work includes the renovation of a typical machiya townhouse in Kyoto, which they modernised to better suit the living requirements of its occupants.Read more: More
