Restaurant Archives

Studio8 transforms 1930s Hangzhou villa into hotpot restaurant

Promotion: Chinese architecture practice Studio8 has renovated the interior of a 1930s villa in Hangzhou, China, transforming it into a hotpot restaurant and cocktail bar that celebrates the building’s history.

The Gud restaurant and bar includes a roof terrace, dining space on the upper floors and bar on the ground floor.

The 496-square-metre space occupies a three-storey building that was built in 1939, as well as a later-built extension and the ground floor of an adjacent property.

Interior of the cocktail bar at Gud restaurant by Studio8 — Antique hotpots are displayed throughout the interior

Although the villa had previously undergone a number of renovations, when designing the restaurant Studio8 aimed to maintain the building’s original features, including the street-facing facade.

Service areas, including the kitchen, restroom and staircase, are located in the extension and adjacent building, leaving the full space of the historic villa for restaurant dining and the cocktail bar.

The Gud restaurant specialises in hotpots, which lead Studio8 to study the culture of the cuisine and introduce aspects of it into the interior design, creating a “museum-like experience”.

The project’s design was informed by three stages of making and experiencing hotpots – the heat from the fire that cooks it, water as the main medium of the food, and the elevation of the flavour coming from the steam.

Studio8 used the themes of “heat, medium and elevation of flavour” to influence the function, materials, textures and light used in each space.

Antique hotpots at the Gud restaurant by Studio8 — The restaurant interior was informed by hotpot cuisine

The cocktail bar on the ground floor of the historic villa was designed to be a lively space. It features a red floor, a fireplace, structural columns that display antique hotpots and red velvet sofas.

Part of the original brick wall was left exposed and a recessed mirrored ceiling at the perimeter of the room makes the space feel larger and more luxurious.

Restaurant at Gud by Studio8 — The interior nods to the building’s history

“As the first element, heat is a fundamental design factor on the first floor, where human interactions were planned out accordingly,” said Studio8.

“The aim was to create a warmer and more welcoming space at the beginning of the hotpot experience, where people and friends meet first, have a cocktail and wait for everyone to arrive.”

Glass-brick niche in the Gud restaurant by Studio8 — The restaurant features glass-brick niches

On the upper floor is the restaurant’s main dining area, which features glass-brick niches in the walls where windows used to be.

At the sides of the dining area, Studio8 opened up the ceiling to expose the wooden roof structure.

Private dining area at the Gud restaurant by Studio8 — The third floor includes a private dining room

“After passing through the heated cocktail bar, comes the second element, water – the medium that reunites all elements,” said Studio8.

“Family and friends are seated together in groups around the round tables on the second floor for the food experience, a process that the architects relate to water reconstructing the atoms of the ingredients.”

Terrace at the Gud restaurant by Studio8 — A roof terrace overlooks the city

The building’s original timber staircase was removed and a new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.

The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors with a “lighting system to represent the continuous energy flow transition”.

A terrace and private dining room are located on the third floor of the villa.

Staircase designed by Studio8 — A new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.

“Here, the customers are reconnected with the city and able to look at it from different heights and angles, corresponding to the last element, steam, the elevation of taste,” said Studio8.

“The simply designed interior shows off the geometric shape of the attic, while benches on the roof allow customers to have a more exclusive interaction with the city.”

Metal staircase designed by Studio8 — The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors

Studio8 is currently working on a number of renovation projects that aim to respect the history of the building, including the transformation of hotels and restaurants.

The photography is by Sven Zhang.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Studio8 as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Reference

Architecture

Locally Sourced Materials Define the Tomo Experience

By Zarkon Group,07/02/2023

Tomo – is a restaurant in White Center, just south of Seattle, WA. The client named the restaurant after his grandmother, Tomoko, and the Japanese word “tomodachi”, meaning ‘friend’. Embracing these warm roots, wood became the centerpiece of the space. Nearly every piece of the interior was created locally, bringing down the carbon footprint of the project, and amplifying the local economic impact. The 80’ wooden light fixture, pendant lighting, bench seating, chairs, bar stools, tabletops, slatted wall panels and shake cladding were custom designed and fabricated by our team just five miles away.

Architizer chatted with Seth Grizzle, Founder & Creative Director at Graypants, Inc., to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Seth Grizzle: Our initial concept was inspired by the idea of a space to enjoy great food without the trappings or stiffness of traditional fine dining. We wanted to create a lot of warmth, so wood is a centerpiece of the space: Referencing shou sugi ban, much of the interior wood has been stained a deep ebony, while oak shingles arranged like scales clad a wall running the length of the space, and contrast the strict geometry of the vertical ash slats that wrap the opposing walls.

This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?

I think what stands out about Tomo is that nearly every piece of the interior was created locally, bringing down the carbon footprint of the project, and amplifying the upfront, local economic impact of the project. The 80’ light fixture, pendant lighting, bench seating, chairs, bar stools, tabletops, slatted wall panels and shake cladding were custom designed and fabricated by our team just five miles away. As well, nearly all of the lighting is directly integrated into the architectural elements–the wall panels, the bench seating, the bar shelves– the lighting is felt but not seen.

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

The space is narrow and deep, posing a risk of feeling cold, tight and confining. Code restrictions meant fixed walls, plumbing and bathrooms. With these lines already drawn in the space, we worked with softening elements; wood, integrated light, a neutral pallette to create a dining experience that is refined but not extravagant, and elevated by light.

How did the context of your project — environmental, social or cultural — influence your design?

The context highly influenced the project. The client chose Tomo’s neighborhood, White Center, very deliberately as it has been on a slower path to economic growth and becoming more inviting to visitors. As a chef with a long list of accolades, and a community curious to learn his next endeavor, the client deliberately rejected the idea of another anticipated restaurant within the city of Seattle, in hopes of speeding the trajectory growth in White Center with a space to enjoy great food without the trappings or stiffness of traditional fine dining. With the design, the team responded by creating a space remarkable enough to feel like a destination–a place worth traveling to- for both food and ambiance.

What is your favorite detail in the project and why?

One of my favorite elements in the project is a custom, handmade 80-foot linear wood fixture that traces the entire length of the restaurant. The layout of the restaurant invited a reference to an evening in one of the endless alleyways of Japanese cities; the custom fixture beautifully connects this space without cluttering it.

How have your clients responded to the finished project?

We loved seeing that since opening, the restaurant has immediately begun outperforming their projections, with a booked solid calendar bringing hundreds of people to the neighborhood every single evening.

How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?

Tomo is a reflection of Graypants’ emphasis on the interplay between light and architecture. They always inform one another, and in Tomo, the lighting is felt much more than seen. With the exception of the linear fixture, which is very visible even as it is quite understated.

Is there anything else important you’d like to share about this project?

The cost per square feet of this project is, conservatively, 35 percent below the benchmark, largely due to the team’s ability to make simple, touchable materials feel chic in a monochrome palette. The team used a design/build approach for the project, fabricating much of the primary design elements such as fixtures and furnishings, cutting out suppliers and shortening the timeline significantly.

Team Members

Seth Grizzle, Bryan Reed, Caleb Patterson

Consultants

Fin Design Shop

For more on Tomo, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

Tomo Gallery

Reference

Interior Design

David Thulstrup decorates Ikoyi restaurant with curved metal-mesh ceiling

By Zarkon Group,20/01/2023

Copenhagen-based designer David Thulstrup drew on spice-making processes when designing the interior of London’s Ikoyi restaurant, which features a variety of materials including copper and oak.

The 150-square-metre restaurant, which has a menu based on seasonal British produce and spices from sub-Saharan west Africa, is located inside the brutalist 180 The Strand building in central London.

Wooden furniture inside Ikoyi by Studio David Thulstrup — Studio David Thulstrup has clad London’s Ikoyi restaurant in copper sheets

Thulstrup completely renovated the interior, adding panels of a specially-designed metal-mesh weave that curve up from the restaurant’s windows and cover the ceiling. The ceiling design was informed by the process of spice production.

“I was inspired by sifting spices and thought the mesh could both capture and reflect light coming from the outside, the street light in the evening and sunlight in the daytime, but also be respectful to the exterior,” Thulstrup told Dezeen. “The lights from inside the restaurant will be captured and ‘sifted’ towards the street.”

Metal-mesh ceiling decoration in Ikoyi restaurant — Decorative metal mesh was used to cover the ceiling

Thulstrup also layered materials to create a restaurant interior that references the “boldness and intensity of the gastronomy” delivered by Ikoyi‘s founders Jeremy Chan and Ire Hassan-Odukale.

The restaurant walls were lined with oxidised copper sheets finished with beeswax, while the floors were covered in Gris de Catalan limestone that was flamed and brushed to develop a hammered surface.

Curved walls in London restaurant by Studio David Thulstrup — Ikoyi is located inside a brutalist building

The custom-built furniture and built-in joinery were made from British oak, while banquettes, chairs and wall panels were lined with ginger-coloured leather.

“I always work with contrasts and I like honest juxtapositions of materials that activate your senses – the copper that is warm in colour but cold when you touch it, the warm natural ginger leather against the colder steel mesh and the rough Catalan limestone floor against the warm English brown oak,” Thulstrup said.

Large round wooden table inside Ikoyi restaurant — The colour palette was kept warm and earthy

The earthy, rustic hues chosen by Thulstrup for the interior were informed both by the restaurant’s food and the building in which it is located.

“Ikoyi is placed on the ground level of the beautiful and very active brutalist building 180 The Strand,” he said.

“The restaurant’s gastronomy plays an essential role in the palette as well,” he added. “It’s not an interpretation of a dish but an exchange in colour and tracing ingredients back to their natural form and colour.”

On arrival, visitors to the restaurant are also greeted by a large copper-clad fridge that shows the produce served at Ikoyi, with slabs of meat and fresh fish hanging from meathooks.

Copper fridge in London restaurant by Studio David Thulstrup — Large copper fridges showcase fresh produce

Thulstrup wanted the fridges to remind people of where their food is coming from.

“[The idea was] that we know where a piece of fish comes from and that we are aware what a piece of meat looks like,” he said. “It traces the story back to when the animal was alive and underscores that we have to take good care of them and appreciate them.”

“I thought it would be a modern interpretation and celebration of our awareness of food.”

Ikoyi restaurant facing the garden — Wooden and leather-clad furniture was used for the interior

Thulstrup founded his studio in 2009 and it is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The studio works in architecture, design and interiors.

Previous projects by the studio include an office in Borough Yards, London, and the revamp of a winery in California’s Sonoma County.

The photography is by Irina Boersma.

Reference

Interior Design

Studio KO places female chefs “at the epicentre” of Sahbi Sahbi restaurant

By Zarkon Group,17/01/2023

French architecture practice Studio KO has designed the restaurant interiors of Sahbi Sahbi using textures, tones and materials that celebrate Moroccan cuisine and female culinary practices.

Sahbi Sahbi, which translates to soulmates in Darija – a form of Arabic spoken in Morocco, is located in the Guéliz neighbourhood of Marrakech.

The exterior of Sahbi Sahbi restaurant — Top: An open kitchen is at the heart of Sahbi Sahbi. Above: the restaurant is in Marrakech

“Sahbi Sahbi is a reinvented tribute to Moroccan craftsmanship,” Studio KO told Dezeen.

“It is a symbiosis of modernity and tradition, of Japan wood tradition and details and Moroccan motifs and materials.”

Wooden tables inside Sahbi Sahbi — Studio KO wanted the restaurant to celebrate the female chefs who work there

The eatery serves a menu of traditional Morrocan dishes made using recipes created by Dadas – female cooks in Morocco who orally handed down their trade through generations.

Sahbi Sahibi’s focus on Dada cuisine influenced Studio KO to create an interior that places the female chefs at the centre of the space.

Sahbi Sahbi restaurant interiors by Studio KO — Warm wood was used for the ceiling, walls and table and chairs

“In Morocco, the kitchen is normally a secretive place, the hidden domain of the Dadas, women who hand down recipes from one generation to the next,” Studio KO said.

“It is with precisely this intention, to share and transmit knowledge – an intention evident even in the layout of the restaurant – that guests are welcomed at Sahbi Sahbi,” added the brand.

The interiors of a Moroccan restaurant — Rust-coloured paint and tableware is dotted throughout

In the centre of the restaurant, the kitchen was intentionally left open so that diners can watch the chefs at work and get an insight into the culinary process.

Horseshoe-shaped tables and seating wrap around an open stove integrated into a kitchen island counter where chefs prepare meals.

“In conceiving this warm, convivial space, the designers inverted the archetype of Moroccan cuisine – its secretiveness – and instead placed the cooking at the epicentre of the restaurant’s activity,” said Studio KO.

Earthy colours and natural materials were used to complement the relaxed and friendly aesthetic of the restaurant.

Wood was used to add warmth throughout. It covers the walls and ceiling and also forms the woven chairs and dining tables. These are illuminated with spherical pendant lights while brown leather upholsters the booth seating around the edge of the space.

A fireplace inside Sahbi Sahbi — A traditional oven is located at the side of the space

In one corner, there is a large traditional oven where chefs can burn logs to bake bread or roast meat.

Finer details include rust-coloured ceramic urns, clay pots and pans and orange-brown paint in an alcove above a sink.

“The beauty is subtle: details, textures, the play of light and surfaces, natural tones and motifs that tell a story of traditional materials and knowledge, freely reinterpreted,” Studio KO explained.

The interiors of Sahbi Sahbi — the interiors were designed as a tribute to Moroccan craftsmanship

Studio KO has previously worked on projects in Marrakech. In 2017 the studio revealed the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, a 4,000-square-metre museum building showcasing the work of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

Other notable buildings in the Moroccan capital city include Fobe House, a white house designed by Paris-based architecture studio Guilhem Eustache.

The photography is by Pascal Montary.

Reference

Architecture

Shigeru Ban uses thatch and cardboard at Farmer’s Restaurant in Japan

By Zarkon Group,25/11/2022

A thatched roof and large cardboard tubes form part of the structure of the Farmer’s Restaurant on Awaji Island, designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban’s studio.

The restaurant sits in the middle of a field on the Japanese island, which is the same location as Shigeru Ban Architects‘ wooden Zenbo Seinei meditation retreat, completed earlier this year.

Thatched-roof restaurant by Shigeru Ban Architects — Shigeru Ban Architects has created the Farmer’s Restaurant on Awaji Island

Farmer‘s Restaurant was commissioned by agricultural company Pasona Agri-Partners Inc to serve food made from fresh vegetables from the field. It is also used as a music hall.

Its architectural design pays homage to traditional Japanese farmhouses, most visibly in its large thatched roof.

Night view of the Farmer's Restaurant on Awaji island — It features a thatched roof

According to Ban’s studio, its chunky structural beams and columns also pay homage to the large trees that are used to create old farmhouses in Japan.

These structural elements are made from two pieces of Japanese cypress wood, wrapped in cardboard tubes.

Shigeru Ban-designed cardboard tube structure — Large cardboard tubes form part of the structure

Farmer’s Restaurant is one of the largest-scale examples of Ban’s Paper Tube Structures system – his pioneering use of tubes made from cardboard as architectural and structural components.

Famously used across his works since 1990, the system can also be seen on projects including the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, the Nomadic Museum in New York and the Paper House in Yamanakako Village.

Externally, the chunky columns sit between decorative wooden panels, doors and openings that lead out onto a decked area.

Inside, Farmer’s Restaurant’s exposed structure is complemented by wooden flooring, banquet tables, and stools.

Interior of the Farmer's Restaurant in Japan — The cardboard tubes contain cypress wood

As some of the cardboard tubes are exposed to the outside, Ban’s studio has coated them in waterproof paint and designed them to be replaced over time.

Ban also famously uses cardboard as part of his modular Paper Partition System (PPS), which was developed to ensure the privacy of people seeking refuge in refugee centres.

Wooden terrace outside Shigeru Ban-designed music hall in Japan — A terrace is located outside

The PPS makes use of thin cardboard tubes as structure and textiles as partitions, with one unit taking just three people to build in five minutes.

Ban’s non-governmental organisation, the Voluntary Architects’ Network, recently used the system across Europe to help house Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

The photography is by Hiroyuki Hirai.

Project credits:

Architects: Shigeru Ban Architects
Client: Pasona Agri-partners Inc
Structural engineer: Hirokazu Toki, Shunya Takahashi
MEP engineer: Hokuryo Denko, Kukan Koubou, Fujii Scene2
General contractor: Kukunoya, Kusakanmuri

Reference

Interior Design

Object Space Place uses reclaimed materials to revamp London restaurant

By Zarkon Group,11/11/2022

Interior design practice Object Space Place has revamped the Apricity restaurant interior in London with second-hand furniture and reclaimed materials.

The project has been shortlisted in the sustainable interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022, which will announce its winners next week.

Interior of Apricity restaurant by Object Space Place — The restaurant is furnished with second-hand tables and chairs

Part of the refurbishment involved removing a timber staircase to maximise usable floor space in the basement.

Object Space Place retained the staircase’s treads to reuse them for a new staircase and repurposed the rest of the usable material into decorative timber block wall cladding.

Decorative timber block wall — Material salvaged from a timber staircase was used as statement wall cladding

“We saw the old staircase as a materials bank full of wood that we could reuse, so we worked with the contractor to take the staircase apart carefully, grade the timber that was usable and create a repeating block pattern that could be made from these timber components,” Object Space Place told Dezeen.

“The timber wall finish has also been installed on a split batten system, so even if someone wants to change this in the future it can be done relatively easily.”

Front of bar at Apricity restaurant by Object Space Place — Skirting boards and architraves were reused to decorate the front of the bar

Architraves and skirting boards removed from the interior were reused to cover the front of the restaurant bar, creating a vertically grooved surface.

The practice overhauled the space to expose some of the original finishes, including brickwork, timber floorboards and aged walls.

“Customers really love the walls, which is interesting as these are simply what we found when we removed the blank white plasterboard wall linings on the ground floor,” said Object Space Place.

“This really epitomises what we discovered about working with waste and the circular economy – the extra effort you have to put in rewards you with a space rich in stories and these stories help add to a dining experience that exemplifies going the extra mile.”

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) equipment was retained where possible and reclaimed furniture, sinks and mirrors were sourced to fit out the restaurant, including second-hand dining chairs that were reupholstered to suit the design scheme.

In instances where reclaimed items could not be acquired, new elements with sustainable qualities were used instead, including terrazzo-like surface material by Foresso made from recycled timber and lampshades made from oyster shells or waste coffee grounds.

Foresso timber terrazzo wine storage at Apricity restaurant — Foresso timber terrazzo was used on the bar and waiter stations

Object Space Place designed the refurbishment according to its Restorative Design Framework initiative, which is based on circular economy principles.

“We developed a true benchmark in sustainable design and fit-out by applying the principles of a circular economy, particularly designing out waste and pollution and keeping natural resources in use,” the studio explained.

According to Object Space Place, the project achieved a reduced embodied carbon footprint of 45 per cent compared to refurbishments of similar-sized restaurants where new furniture and finishes were applied.

Other restaurants that feature reclaimed materials include an eatery in Madrid with interior features made from upcycled junk and a restaurant in Bangalore decorated with discarded bicycle bells and cassette tape boxes.

The photography is by Ben Carpenter.

Reference

Interior Design

YOD Group designs Terra restaurant interior to “mirror its surroundings”

By Zarkon Group,04/11/2022

Ukrainian design studio YOD Group dressed this restaurant interior in Vynnyky with terracotta tiles and slabs of green glass to reflect the earthy landscape outside.

Called Terra, the eatery features a colour and material palette that takes cues from the rolling hills and a lake that border the restaurant. It was completed in February 2022, just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Terra restaurant — YOD Group designed Terra’s interior to reflect the landscape outside

YOD Group created the interior across a single hall, which features clusters of plush, low-slung armchairs and sofas arranged around both meandering and rectilinear dark wooden tables.

These seating areas are interrupted only by large rounded columns clad in glass bricks, which are illuminated from the inside to create a watery green glow designed to echo the nearby lake.

Terracotta tile column — Waiter stations are clad in terracotta tiles

The largest of these columns houses a curved wine cellar within an internal spiral staircase, while the transparent glass reveals the ghostly silhouettes of stored wine bottles.

Textured terracotta tiles make up rounded waiter stations, which were designed to mirror the earthiness of the restaurant’s exterior setting.

The stations also nod to the Ukrainian tradition of covering furnaces and fireplaces with tiles, according to YOD Group.

Curved wine cellar by YOD Group — A curved wine cellar includes an internal staircase

“We aimed to extract colours, textures and impressions from the landscape to translate them into the interior design language,” explained the studio.

“Like the eyedropper tool in Photoshop, but on a real-life scale, we designed the space to mirror its surroundings.”

Another wall is covered in adjustable copper-hued glass slabs that feature decorative markings made by imprinting local grasses on their surfaces.

The moveable wall is intended as a metaphor to symbolise the way reeds sway in the wind, said YOD Group.

“Guests can not only touch the glass slabs but also interact with them and change the pattern on the wall, becoming co-creators of the design.”

Copper-hued glass slabs can be moved across a large wall

Bouquets of pampas grass are interspersed throughout the interior, in a nod to the restaurant’s lakeside terrace where visitors can dine outside.

Terra is shortlisted in the restaurant and bar interior category of the 2022 Dezeen Awards, which announces its winners later this month.

Last year, the category’s winning eatery was another restaurant in Ukraine – Yakusha Design’s Istetyka in Kyiv, which has an interior characterised by rough concrete, polished stone and smooth steel.

YOD Group also designed a coffee shop in Ukraine’s capital that features pixel-like mosaics in a hole-in-the-wall-style bar.

The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

Reference

Sustainable News

The Circus Canteen restaurant interior is “collage of unwanted items”

By Zarkon Group,22/10/2022

Local studio Multitude of Sins has created an eclectic restaurant interior in Bangalore out of a mishmash of reclaimed materials, including discarded bicycle bells and cassette tape boxes.

Officially called Big Top but known as The Circus Canteen, the restaurant is shortlisted in the sustainable interior category for a 2022 Dezeen Award.

Multitude of Sins restaurant — The Circus Canteen interior is made of almost all reclaimed materials

Multitude of Sins sourced the components that make up the interior from a city-wide waste donation drive held over several weeks.

The materials were then painstakingly curated into distinct categories, ranging from home appliances to toy cars, and used to design an eclectic interior featuring mismatched furniture and flooring.

Scrap metal archways — Visitors enter through a series of scrap metal archways

Less than 10 per cent of the materials used to create the interior were sourced as new, according to the studio.

“The Circus Canteen [was informed by] the concept of creating a collage of unwanted items with a curatorial spirit,” Multitude of Sins founder Smita Thomas told Dezeen.

Abandoned sofas in restaurant — Multitude of Sins created booths out of mismatched objects

Visitors enter the restaurant through a bold scarlet door decorated with unwanted bicycle bells and humourous hand horns, which is accessed via a series of labyrinthine archways made from teal-hued scrap metal.

The archways are illuminated by alternative chandeliers composed of dismantled bicycle chains and old vehicle headlights.

The Circus Canteen — Some of the restaurant tables are decorated with old CDs

Inside, the two-level dining area is made up of custom tables and seating that double as a set of striking installations.

Salvaged objects used to create these booths include abandoned sofas, obsolete bathroom ventilators and colourful coffee tables created from old oil barrels sliced in half and topped with glass surfaces.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” acknowledged Thomas. “We have seen and felt this phrase come to life as we pieced together The Circus Canteen.”

The restaurant’s flooring is a jigsaw puzzle-style mosaic of sample tiles sourced from ceramics stores, while a kitchen serving hatch is framed by a colourful collection of outdated cassette tape boxes.

Restaurant interior — A serving hatch is framed by cassette tape boxes

Prompted by the desire to create an eatery interior with a minimal carbon footprint, Multitude of Sins’ project responds to many designers’ growing concerns about the wastefulness of their industry.

“The creation of each element – from custom lighting and flooring to art installations and furniture – was attributed to the mercy of the waste donation drive,” said Thomas.

“It reminds us of adapting skillfully, to reinvent with agility.”

The Circus Canteen tables — The Circus Canteen intends to address wastefulness in the design industry

The Circus Canteen is part of Bangalore Creative Circus – a project formed by artists, scientists and other “changemakers” who host various community-focussed events in the Indian city.

Other eateries that feature reclaimed materials include a restaurant in Spain with elements made from upcycled junk and site construction waste and a cafe in Slovenia defined by recycled components that create a mix of patterns and textures.

The photography is by Ishita Sitwala.

Reference

Interior Design

Ivy Studio renovates fire-damaged Piatti restaurant in Montreal

By Zarkon Group,03/10/2022

Dark green marble, glossy black tiles and sculptural lighting contrast the rough stone walls of this Montreal restaurant that has been resurrected by local Ivy Studio.

Located in Rosemère, on Montreal’s north bank, Piatti opened 15 years ago in an old stone building that was previously extended to accommodate a larger commercial space.

Green marble pizza oven — A pizza oven wrapped in green marble forms a focal point at Piatti

After a fire ripped through the Italian restaurant over a year ago, damaging the roof and the interior, the owners chose to renovate and update the space.

“From this tragedy rose the opportunity to give the space a much-needed facelift,” said the Ivy Studio team, who took on the project.

Two arches in pistachio-coloured wall — Entrance to the kitchen is through an arch set into a pistachio-coloured wall

“While the overall aesthetic is very contemporary, the decor was inspired by traditional Italian design and includes textures, materials and colours that project clients directly to the Mediterranean,” the studio added.

The two-storey building is entered on the lower level, where the preparation kitchen, a private event room and the washrooms are situated.

Sienna banquette below a mirrored wall — A sienna-toned banquette is installed beneath a mirrored wall

Upstairs are the dining areas, each with a distinct atmosphere. When entering past courses of glossy black tiles, customers are met by a “monumental” pizza oven wrapped in green Saint-Denis marble.

A black stained-wood and marble structure in front acts as a dining and service area, across from a hand-plastered pistachio wall with an arch that leads to the closed kitchen.

Bar area within old stone building — The bar area is located in the old stone building

Above a sienna-toned velvet banquette, a mirrored wall helps to make the dining space feel larger – reflecting its cream walls and sheer curtains.

Bistro chairs with green seats and caned backs are placed around tables.

Custom lighting and stools at the bar — Lighting and stools were custom designed for the bar

A circular wood-topped table sits on zig-zag black and white tiles below a central bespoke chandelier.

The bar occupies the old stone aspect of the building. Here, a U-shaped counter is clad with vertical oak boards and topped with a four-inch-thick travertine slab.

Custom stools made from velvet, steel and wood are lined up against the bar, colour-matching the banquette upholstery in the dining room.

Minimal, custom cream-painted lamps are spaced along the length of the counter, while a steel structure suspended above holds bottles behind fritted glass panels.

Dining table in the corner — A pendant light hangs above a table in the corner of the bar area

“The entire room has recessed lighting going around the ceiling to properly highlight the original stone walls in the evening,” said Ivy Studio.

Montreal is home to a wealth of Italian restaurants with notable interiors, several of which have opened over the last few years.

Fritted glass dividing wall — Ivy Studio based the contemporary decor on traditional Italian design

They include pizza spot Vesta and Tiramisu at the city’s Hilton hotel – both designed by Ménard Dworkind.

Among Ivy Studio’s other hospitality projects in the Quebec capital is Jack Rose, an eatery in a former auto body shop.

The photography is by Alex Lesage.

Project credits:

Team: Gabrielle Rousseau, David Kirouac, Guillaume B Riel, Philip Staszewski
Construction: Groupe Firco

Reference

Interior Design

Home Studios adds soft seating to Italian restaurant Bar Enza

By Zarkon Group,02/10/2022

Brooklyn-based Home Studios has filled an Italian restaurant close to Harvard University with plush booths and banquettes to introduce colour and texture to the space.

Bar Enza is situated in a prime spot on Harvard Square next to the Ivy League college in Cambridge, Massachusetts – just across the Charles River from Boston.

Red booth seating at Bar Enza — Home Studios revamped Bar Enza to include a variety of soft seating

The project involved the revamp of an existing restaurant on the ground floor of The Charles Hotel.

To complement chef Mark Ladner’s menu, Home Studios pulled references from a range of regions and styles across Italy – from Rome’s trattorias to Milanese villas – and combined them to create interiors that feel elevated yet cosy.

Sofa seating forms a row through the centre — The restaurant’s original floors and ceiling were kept intact

Upon request of the client, the original ceilings and floors were retained. Meanwhile, brick walls were plastered and painted white to match the ceiling and to help brighten the space.

Freestanding tables and chairs were mostly swapped for soft seating, in the form of booths, banquettes and sofas covered in five different upholstery types to add variety.

Green booths against the service area — Five different fabrics were used to upholster the booths and banquettes

The building’s zig-zag glazed facade, which brings in plenty of light, creates niches that are filled with high-top tables surrounded by curved, pale pink booths.

Forming a row through the centre of the dining area, pairs of high-backed red sofas face each other across marble tables.

Curved pink booth in a corner — Brick walls were painted white to help brighten the interior

Other booths and banquettes feature sage green or beige fabrics, accompanied by cane-backed cafe chairs, while bar stools are topped with red leather cushions.

“Unexpected details include plush seating, reminiscent of stately libraries and studies,” Haslegrave said. “Essentially we mixed mid-century architectural details with more traditional upholstered seating to achieve a confluence and diversity of designs.”

The service areas were kept largely intact, but custom millwork was added to refresh the materiality.

Shelving was also clad in warm woods, while textured glass and brass hardware were introduced as accents.

Ceiling details above marble tables — Cane-baked cafe chairs accompany the booths and freestanding tables

“The very elevated level of service meant for very specific requirements on the service area millwork and shelving,” said Haslegrave.

Time and budget restrictions meant that lighting was sourced. The selection of sconces, pendants and table lamps was chosen to create a “warm and sexy” feeling in the evening.

Beige banquette along a window — The Italian restaurants draws references from Rome’s trattorias and Milanese villas

During the day, sheer curtains allow natural light to wash over the interior and allows the fabric hue to pop.

Home Studios’ previous bar and restaurant projects across the US include the Laurel Brasserie and Bar in Salt Lake City, The Harvey House in Madison, Wisconsin,and Bibo Ergo Sum in LA.

The photography is by Brian W Ferry.

Reference

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