Located in the heart of Berlin, this newly completed izakaya restaurant combines traditional Japanese materials and hand craft with 3D modeling and computer programming to form an atmospheric space for dining.
Responding to the client’s wishes for a cozy space that establishes a visual identity for the restaurant while also maximizing table count, the entire design intervention is achieved without the use of a single wall. A 56 sq meter ceiling installation serves as the main design feature of the restaurant.
By using the chopstick as a simple, repeating element, the project creates an immersive and highly intimate canopy over the space.
The form comprises a series of vaults interspersed between a lower datum of darker chopsticks These vaults hover over the two main seating areas on either side of the entrance, providing a sense of intimacy and spatial division.
The installation is made out of 13,454 hand drilled, stained, and threaded chopsticks, 57,400 knots, and over 20 kilometers of nylon and took a crew of 14 people three weeks to complete.
A wallpaper resembling a lush forest from afar prominently covers the back wall of the restaurant. Hand drawn on the computer and then processed by a customized script, the brightly lit wallpaper attracts curious visitors passing down Rosenthalerstrasse with its recognizable image, only to gradually dissolve into a line drawing and warm texture when viewed up close.
The wallpaper’s disappearing effect adds to the mystery of the project and its vertical lines resonate with the verticality and spacing of the hanging hashi.
The bar and exterior façade are filled with half a ton of Japanese rice and backlit, casting a diffused warm glow onto the street and into the space.
