Restaurants

Subterms

    More stories

    • 175 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Krøyer & Gatten celebrates the 1960s and 70s in design for Aarhus restaurant Substans

      by

      Michelin-starred Aarhus restaurant Substans has moved to a new harbour-side location, designed by local studio Krøyer & Gatten to feel like a Danish home from 50 years ago.The new Substans, which opened in mid-2019, is located on the 11th floor of a new block in the docklands area of Aarhus, Denmark.

      Substans is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Aarhus
      The restaurant, owned by chef René Mammen and his wife Louise, serves Nordic-style cuisine. But there is no à la carte menu – diners are instead served tasting menus filled with highly technical dishes.
      Krøyer & Gatten, which specialises in both architecture and carpentry,  designed the interior of the new space with a similar approach, aiming to celebrate Danish design heritage but to give it a contemporary twist.

      The design takes its cues from residential interiors of the 1960s and 70s

      Studio co-founder Kristian Gatten said they did this by referencing interior design from the 1960s and 70s.
      “The idea behind the interior was to create a cosy intimate space,” he told Dezeen, “with inspiration from architects such as Friis and Moltke, Alvar Aalto and Jørgen Bækmark.”

      The simple materials palette includes oak, bricks and ceramic tiles
      Gatten and partner Philip Krøyer chose materials that are both retro and humble, with distinct references to traditional home interiors. For example, the kitchen features simple brown tiles, while the terrazzo-topped bar is made from white-painted brickwork.
      The dining room is designed to feel simple but homely, with oak flooring, pale curtains and wooden furniture.

      The aim was to create the right atmosphere to accompany the food
      “Visiting a Michelin restaurant should be a holistic experience,” said Gatten, “an experience with great food and wine, but also a great atmosphere and interior/spatial experience.”
      The key to achieving this, he said, was in “creating small stories and spatial experiences within the restaurant”.

      A shelving grid creates the feeling of a pantry in one area
      This meant that the dining space was divided into four zones, each with its own domestic-inspired design concept: the entrance, the pantry, the kitchen and the dining room.
      The entrance space is designed to feel welcoming, with the oak door and slatted wall offering a distinct change in material from the raw concrete of the lobby before it.

      Shelves are dotted with jars of food, wine glasses and plants
      The pantry, which forms the first section of the dining room, is flanked by a large wooden shelving grid, dotted with jars of dried and preserved food, wine glasses and plants.

      Moody interiors of Le Pristine restaurant by Space Copenhagen take cues from the Old Masters

      The kitchen area, which includes the bar and the tables in front, has an open and casual feel, because diners are able to see their food and drinks being prepared. By contrast, the dining room at the rear is more secluded.

      Krøyer & Gatten designed and built most of the solid oak furniture pieces
      Krøyer & Gatten designed and built many of the Substans furniture pieces, including round tables covered with blue linoleum, simple bench seats and curve-backed chairs.
      These solid oak pieces all have visible fixings, so that they could be easily repaired or disassembled in the future.

      Visible fixings allow these pieces to be easily repaired or disassembled
      These are complemented by classic pieces, including pendant lights designed by Poul Henningsen in the 1950s and a set of chairs designed by JL Møllers Møbelfabrik in 1962, which were manufactured locally.
      Photography is by Martin Gravgaard.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Keiji Ashizawa uses “rough materials” to create cosy restaurant interior

      by

      Wood-wool cement-board walls and concrete tabletops feature in this Tokyo restaurant interior by Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa.Located a few minutes walk from Kawaguchi station in one of Tokyo’s largest commuter towns, Grillno is a cosy, 26-seat restaurant that serves a menu of smoked and grilled dishes.

      Top image: tables and chairs made from concrete, steel and wood furnish the interior. Above: dim lighting sets the mood
      Built on the second floor of a concrete apartment building, the moodily lit interior features walls made from grey wood wool cement board alongside oak floors and doors.
      An open kitchen with a long concrete counter allows diners to watch the chefs at work as they eat.
      “There are two fundamental inspirations,” said Ashizawa, “the building materials used for the thirty-year-old concrete apartment building and the food ingredients the restaurant uses daily.”

      The textured walls are made from grey wood wool cement board

      The 62-square-metre restaurant only opens in the evening, so guests typically experience the space at sunset or after dark.
      “The space gets some natural daylight from the entrance,” Ashizawa told Dezeen. “The gentle light from the setting sun creates a spectacular atmosphere during the opening hours.”

      A concrete counter stretches along the length of the open kitchen
      The restaurant’s owner is a friend of the Tokyo-based architect, as well as a regular collaborator.
      “Since starting his career as a chef, I have been supporting him with the planning of his restaurants — and enjoying eating what he cooks, of course,” Ashizawa explained.
      “As Grillno is a restaurant specialised in smoked and grilled dishes, we began by planning an open kitchen and a long concrete counter around the kitchen so that people could enjoy watching the chef cook while eating.”

      A suspended steel lamp hovers over the concrete counter
      A thin, long steel suspension lamp hangs above the concrete counter to create an even light for dining.
      “We believe that good restaurants can welcome people in many situations, whether you come by yourself, with your friends and family or for your night out,” continued Ashizawa.
      “To make the most out of the space as possible, we planned different types of seating arrangements.”

      Campana brothers use hollow terracotta blocks for São Paulo Aesop store

      These include the rounded counter, which seats up to 14 diners, alongside two cosy wooden tables for couples that are tucked away in a recess, and three tables that seat up to four people on a mix of chairs and benches.

      Dining tables for couples are placed in a recess
      “With a few rough materials, worked expertly by craftsmen, we tried to achieve a relaxing atmosphere with moments of tension to match the food and hospitality,” explained Ashizawa.
      Incorporating industrial materials that are generally perceived as “rough” into commercial interiors is popular among architects and designers.
      Lisbon-based Inês Brandão has created a kitchen from oriented strand board inside a converted barn home in Portugal, while brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana applied hollow ceramic bricks, typically used to build external walls, in a shop interior for Aesop in Sao Paulo.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Plantea Estudio casts minimalist Madrid restaurant in shades of beige

      by

      Spanish firm Plantea Estudio has layered “light and warm” materials such as plywood and chipboard to create the interior of this Madrid street food restaurant.Called Zuppa, the eaterie is located on one of the city centre’s main streets, the Calle de Atocha, and occupies a commercial space that was previously home to an Indian takeaway.

      The informal dining area features steel frame furniture (above) and a central oak table (top image)
      The 127-square-metre restaurant offers a menu of street food and homemade soups, which can be taken to go or eaten inside of a small, informal dining area.
      Plantea Estudio restored the original storefront, which had been altered by the previous owners, and installed bespoke pivoting doors with frames made of plywood and iron, and topped with marble handles.

      Built-in benches are paired with wooden stools and steel tables

      For the interior, the firm said it selected materials in “light and warm tones” to create a feeling of continuity and make the space appear larger.
      Although similar in colouring, the materials were chosen for their different textural qualities, with micro-cement and plywood boards forming the walls and floors while chipboard was used to panel the ceiling.

      Plantea Estudio transforms defunct erotic cinema into contemporary art-nouveau theatre

      “The light from the outside envelops them in such a way, that the limits between one and the other blur and the space is expanded to the maximum,” explained the architects.

      The space is anchored by a large communal table
      In contrast to the soft beige tones of the walls and floors, the studio installed furniture and fittings made from black lacquered steel with “geometric and precise” forms.
      Much of this was designed specifically for the project, including a large communal table made from solid oak and finished with a sanded steel top.
      Placed in the centre of the space, it helps to channel the flow of customers between the two entrance doors.

      High tables in front of the counter feature marble tops
      Two built-in, upholstered benches run along the walls on either side, paired with rows of lacquered steel tables and oak stools.
      In the space beyond, two high tables with a steel base and grey Ruivina marble top sit in front of a serving counter made from these same materials and illuminated through integrated lighting.
      Here, customers can eat their food either standing or seated on one of the bar stools with their oak veneer seats.

      A soap dispenser and marble sink are mounted to the bathroom walls
      “All of these elements are introduced into a space where the floor and walls are finished in the same colour, so it looks like they are ‘floating’ in a warm atmosphere,” Plantea Estudio director Luis Gill told Dezeen.
      “The materials that are touched by hand are kind and solid, always pleasant.”
      The illusion of objects levitating in space is carried through to the toilets, where a marble sink and soap dispenser are suspended from the walls.

      Plantea Estudio built custom plywood doors with marble handles
      The interior’s neutral colour scheme chimes with paint brand Dulux’s choice of colour of the year for 2021 – a “reassuring” earthy beige called Brave Gound.
      Dulux argued that this “elemental” shade reflects “our growing desire to align more with the planet and looking towards the future”.
      Plantea Estudio, which was shortlisted for emerging interior design practice of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards, has previously transformed a defunct erotic cinema into an art-nouveau theatre.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Spacon & X creates casual diner for Noma's burger spinoff POPL

      by

      Prolific Copenhagen restaurant Noma has opened a burger joint featuring an interior filled with natural materials and plants designed by Spacon & X.Born out of a summer pop-up, POPL is a diner in Copenhagen’s pretty Christianshavn neighbourhood, serving a simple menu of burgers, fries and light bites.
      POPL is designed by Danish studio Spacon & X, the Emerging Interior Designer of the Year from the inaugural Dezeen Awards in 2018.

      POPL is a burger joint in Christianshavn, Copenhagen

      The interior design takes cues from Izakaya, informal drinking venues that can be found in Japan. The aim was to create a raw simplicity but to also create a feeling of warmth and comfort.
      The designers did this with the use of warm colours and materials, which contrast the starkness of the building’s concrete structure. They also added a wooden “plant bridge” above the tables, so that greenery is visible everywhere.

      A plant bridge is suspended above the tables
      “We found it a natural decision that the design concept follows Noma’s approach to the burger: simple, welcoming, and with the best quality ingredients,” explained Malene Hvidt, architect and partner at Spacon & X.
      “The design is welcoming to the extent that guests are not afraid to use the space as a hangout,” she told Dezeen. “The surface materials and careful detailing communicate this through their expressive robustness and honesty.”

      Natural materials feature throughout the interior
      The design centres around the use of natural materials. Acoustic ceiling panels are lined with dried and compressed meadow flowers, which offer a delicate fragrance, while paper lights and artworks are dotted around.
      All of the furniture is made from brown core ash wood. These pieces were all designed bespoke for POPL through a collaboration with furniture brand e15, to help give the restaurant its own identity.

      Spacon & X worked with e15 to create bespoke furniture
      Bespoke tables, chairs, stools, benches and coat hangers are all characterised by simple forms that celebrate the construction joints, fusing Nordic, Japanese and American furniture-making traditions.
      Tables are topped with Richlite, a composite material made from recycled paper and bio-resin. Meanwhile, benches are upholstered in a distinctive yellow leather, which is complemented a tactile red artwork that covers the rear wall.

      Warm tones help to create a cosy atmosphere
      “The focus of this project is on the use of natural materials and craftsmanship,” said e15 founder Philipp Mainzer. “This is very much in line with the approach to our work at e15.”

      BIG overhauls Copenhagen warehouse for Noma 2.0 restaurant

      “Every surface tells a story,” added Hvidt, “like the compressed flower acoustic board solutions, which from a distance are a dappled colour but up-close reveal their texture and scent. Or the red artwork, celebrating the handcraft skill of applying tile mortar.”

      Benches are upholstered in yellow leather
      This is the first time that Spacon & X and e15 have collaborated with Noma, which is regularly named as one of the best restaurants in the world. For Noma’s main venue, it worked with architects BIG, interior designer David Thulstrup and furniture brand Brdr Krüger.
      By allowing a new creative team to put their stamp on the Noma aesthetic, POPL hopes to reach a wider audience.

      The design takes its cues from Japan’s Izakaya drinking venues
      Hvidt hopes visitors will liken the experience to the casual atmosphere of an American diner, even though the space looks very different.
      “We have definitely brought a new dialect to the Noma language,” she added.
      “The nuanced American diner feel is created through elements such as the heavy diner booth typology, but the association is then offset through the care put into the material sourcing, detailing and craftsmanship. The striking yet natural colours again play with the American diner tradition in a Scandinavian context.”
      Photography is by Bjørn Bertheussen.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Embers restaurant in Taipei features a “vortex” of cedar wood planks

      by

      Bowed panels of cedar form a chaotic vortex-like structure in Embers, a restaurant in Tapei’s Da’an district designed by local practice Curvink Architects.The structure, which Curvink Architects says could also be likened to a bird’s nest or whirlpool, sits over the bar of Embers. It’s shortlisted in the restaurant interior of the year category in the 2020 Dezeen Awards.

      The focal point of Embers is a vortex-like structure that sits above the restaurant’s bar
      To build the structure, Curvink Architects called on the help of designer and maker En-Kai Kuo. He sourced three 25-metre-high cedar trees from the forested mountainsides of Hsinchu, a city in northern Taiwan.
      The trees were being felled as part of thinning – a process where a select number of trees are purposefully removed in order to improve the health and growth rate of those remaining.

      Cedar planks were used to make the structure

      After being transported to a nearby timber factory, the three cedar trunks were sliced into thin layers and steam-bent. This formed arched panels which each span three metres in diameter.
      The panels were then set aside for several weeks to allow their curved form to stabilise.
      When the panels were brought on-site to Embers, Kuo haphazardly arranged them in a clockwise direction to create the final vortex-like structure. One cedar beam has been partially embedded into one of the restaurant’s structural columns to act as a counter where guests can rest their drinks.
      It’s illuminated by a striplight which has been fitted in the grooves of another beam hanging directly above.

      During the construction process, the cedar trunks were sliced into thin layers
      Beneath the structure sits a chunky serving island crafted from a further 64 cedar beams, which are stacked in an eight-by-eight formation.
      One end of the island has undergone shou sugi ban or yakisugi – a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation, where the surface is lightly charred to become waterproof and overall more durable.
      Inside, the island accommodates a small fridge, freezer and storage for tableware.

      Neri&Hu draws upon Taipei’s urban landscape for design of Kimpton Da An Hotel

      To keep diners’ attention on the sculpture, the restaurant’s fit-out is otherwise kept simple.
      Walls are loosely rendered with sandy-beige plaster, while the floor is finished with concrete. Pendant lamps made out of recycled glass have also been suspended from the ceiling.

      Some cedar beams have been inset with striplights
      Embers will go head-to-head against four other projects in this year’s Dezeen Awards. Among them is DooSooGoBang in South Korea, which is designed to reflect the humble practices of Buddhist monks.
      There’s also Voisin Organique in China, which features soaring ceilings and shadowy dining areas to make guests feel as if they’re “wandering in a valley”.
      Photography is courtesy of En-Kai Kuo.
      Project credits:
      Design: En-Kai Kuo with Yu-Hao Huang, Curvink ArchitectsAdditional cooperators: Wes Kuo, Kit-Chen, Your Kitchen Ally, Yule Space, Weihsun Chen, Zhēnzhēn Lab

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Neri&Hu keeps time-worn details in Parisian restaurant Papi

      by

      A huge cylindrical volume clad in white tiles sits amongst aged stone walls inside Papi, a restaurant in Paris designed by Neri&Hu.Papi can be found in the French capital’s ninth arrondissement, taking over the ground floor of a 19th-century Haussmann building.

      Top image: the exterior of Papi. Above: steel-framed windows can be pushed back to open up the restaurant to the street
      Rather than modernising the 52-square-metre site of the restaurant, Neri&Hu has instead tried to showcase the “layers of material heritage” that denote the building’s long and storied past.
      The Shanghai-based studio explained the building works had to be carried out “as carefully as an archaeological dig”.

      Neri & Hu stripped back the interior to expose old brick and limestone surfaces

      “Every single existing element was meticulously examined, and the challenge was in resisting the urge to fix every imperfection, to instead honour the imprint of time upon each surface,” added Neri&Hu.
      “Each fragment represents a different period in Paris’ history, forming a beautiful yet challenging existing canvas for [Neri&Hu] to intervene.”

      The dining area is enclosed within a cylindrical volume
      Wallcoverings and finishes that have built up over the years from previous occupants have been peeled back to reveal the building’s older brick or limestone surfaces.
      Aged stone moulding that borders the entrance door has also been exposed, and a slim cut-out has been made in the facade to reveal an existing steel lintel.
      Similar steel has been used to frame the expansive panels of glazing that front the restaurant. These can be slid back during the warmer months, diffusing the boundary between Papi’s diners and passersby on the street.

      Slim white tiles clad the inside and outside of the volume
      The most significant contemporary addition that Neri&Hu have made to the interior is a towering cylindrical volume that encompasses Papi’s eating area.
      Clad in narrow white tiles, the volume has been placed slightly off-centre so that it butts up against the right-hand side of the restaurant.

      Neri&Hu looked to “traditional courtyard house typology” for Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat

      Inside are a handful of wooden dining tables and chairs. Guests can alternatively opt to sit on one of the bench seats that have been fitted in the birch plywood-lined openings running around the perimeter of the volume.

      The volume hugs against the restaurant’s right-hand wall
      Other than a couple of tube lights – specifically chosen by Neri&Hu to stand in “stark modern contrast” to the crumbling stone walls – decor in Papi has been kept to a minimum.
      A few mirrors have also been incorporated within the cylinder.
      “[The mirrors] create dynamic perspectives and voyeuristic moments between interior and exterior, but also invite guests within to cross gazes,” concluded the studio.

      Bench seats have been integrated into the volume’s openings
      Neri&Hu has been established since 2004. Other projects that the studio has completed this year include a cultural centre in Beijing that’s covered with aluminium louvres and a hotel in Taipei that takes design cues from the city’s urban landscape.
      Photography is by Simone Bossi.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares199 Views

      A-nrd looks to Mexico to craft interiors of Kol restaurant in London

      by

      Yucatán, Oaxaca and Mexico City are some of the places that the founder of studio A-nrd visited in preparation of designing the interiors of Kol, a restaurant in central London. Kol is situated in the capital’s Marylebone neighbourhood. It’s headed up by notable chef Santiago Lastra, who has designed the menu of the two-storey restaurant
      The post A-nrd looks to Mexico to craft interiors of Kol restaurant in London appeared first on Dezeen. More

    • 163 Shares119 Views

      Lim + Lu bridges old and new inside Yung's Bistro in Hong Kong

      by

      Multidisciplinary studio Lim + Lu has based the interior of Yung’s Bistro in Hong Kong on the rich history of its 78-year-old sister restaurant.Yung’s Bistro is an offshoot of esteemed Hong Kong restaurant, Yung Kee, which was founded by Kam Shui-fai as a modest outdoor food stall – known as a dai pai dong – before a brick-and-mortar restaurant was opened in 1942.
      Over the past 78 years the restaurant, which is still in operation, has become revered for its take on Cantonese cuisine and is particularly well known for its roast goose dish.

      Top image: the interior of Yung’s Bistro. Above: a communal table anchors the more casual dining section of the restaurant

      The newly launched Yung’s Bistro is presided over by Shui-fai’s granddaughter, who tasked local studio Lim + Lu with devising a contemporary interior scheme that honours the humble beginnings of its predecessor, Yung Kee.
      “For this project, the client’s brief is rather abstract; remembering their roots while paving the path for the future,” said the studio, which is led by Vincent Lim and Elaine Lu.
      “It was important that the design draws inspiration from the flagship restaurant and allows customers to recognize that this new restaurant is born of the same meticulous DNA towards food preparation and detail-oriented customer service.”

      The tiled drinks bar sits beneath a gridded brass framework
      A subtle mix of old and new has therefore been incorporated throughout Yung’s Bistro, which is loosely divided into two halves.
      The front half of the restaurant plays host to a more casual dining area. At its centre is a communal brass-edged dining table, included as a wink to Yung Kee’s early days as a food stall when customers would often have to share tables because of the scarcity of space in the surrounding alleyway.
      The table is surrounded by green-velvet chairs with slim brass legs, while a series of lantern-like pendant lights by Danish designer Lucie Kass dangle overhead.

      One wall is lined with patterned tiles with brushed-gold detailing
      A corrugated wall runs down one side of the casual dining area, serving as a backdrop to the drinks bar. The curved, C-shaped counter of the bar is clad with sea-green tiles, contrasting the pink stool seats that have been placed directly in front.
      Glassware and trailing plants are openly displayed in a gridded brass framework that’s been suspended from the ceiling. It’s meant to loosely resemble the bamboo scaffolding which is often used in the construction of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers.

      Lim + Lu transforms Hong Kong warehouse into home for two artists, four dogs and a cat

      The wall behind the restaurant’s cashier desk and merchandise shelves are lined with patterned green tiles with brushed-gold detailing, which were cast from tiles that were installed in Yung Kee in 1978.

      The formal dining section of Yung’s Bistro lies at the rear of the restaurantt
      A formal dining area lies in the rear half of Yung’s Bistro, which monochromatic flooring and circular dining tables that Lim + Lu says are more traditional to Chinese restaurants.
      Chefs can be seen bustling away at work in the kitchen through a sequence of brass windows that run down the side of the room.
      “This view of the kitchen is atypical of Chinese cuisine – however, when the kitchen prepares the goose that made its predecessor one of the most famous restaurants in town, it is a true attraction,” the studio explained.

      Screened windows peek through to the kitchen
      Each of the windows has been fitted with a slatted screen that can be drawn down if the chefs in the kitchen want more privacy.
      When drawn-up the screens almost create an awning over the dining tables, another nod to dai pai dong culture where unfurled awning typically symbolises that a food stall is open for business.
      “Yung’s Bistro serves as a quintessential bridge between old and new, a traditional cultural cuisine of Hong Kong meeting more western and contemporary values,” added the studio. “It is a lesson in respecting what has come before, but also the courage for innovation.”

      This side of the restaurant features monochromatic flooring and circular dining tables
      Lim + Lu was established in 2015. Other Hong Kong projects by the studio include the revamp of a fashion designer’s apartment, which was brightened up with pops of yellow, turquoise and coral-pink, and the transformation of an old warehouse into a home for two artists and their five pets.
      Photography is by Lit Ma of Common Studio.

      Read more: More