Area: 3800ft²
The site: Jardine House, Central
Client: Maxim's Group

The design captures a culture's essence to create a spatial narrative by careful articulation of details. Rich in elements deriving from traditional Japanese folk houses, this project interprets Japanese traditional culture in a modern way. Dark cedar planked columns form the majority of the façade, subdividing the glazed entrance, creating an eye-catching spatial form. Split into two levels, the restaurant reception welcomes guests at the upper level. A falling water feature interlinks the upper teppanyaki dining area and sushi bar at the lower level. Booth seating and banquettes carve the open plan into playful clusters. Dark slates and blue fabrics adorning the banquettes contrast with a backdrop of rustic bold reddish brick work in a unique pattern inlay. A twist of Japanese architecture, cool grey concrete walls with dried grass inserts and warm natural wood are introduced to create contrast in texture, colour, and form. Enriching cultural references in the design philosophy, a richly veined teppanyaki marble top is paired with wooden overhead developed from traditional Japanese carpentry details, whereas a solid wood block sushi bar top is matched with a metal plate arranged in a wave pattern. The overall effect is a revelation of fine Japanese tradition and culture truly captured in a restaurant design adopting a modern interpretation.