Project Overview
“True flavor is found in unseasoned food. “Chinese writer Hong said in his book Vegetable Roots. However, this concept seems to be more practiced in Japanese cuisine. The head restaurant Den in Tokyo is inspired by “ryotie”, a traditional Japanese style restaurant.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Hsin Feng Lin
Chia Yen Wei
Wei Lin Wu
Project Brief
Instead of being restricted by traditions, Den connects itself to the world with innovation and a sense of humor. Taiwan-based branch Sho carries on the elements. The yakisugi ban at the main entry may seem rough, but on the second look you’ll find that it connects with metal hardware beautifully, carving out a Japanese-garden-like entry in a modern architecture.
Project Need
The slate on floor is intended to remind people of the Oya slates used in Den. Going through the path and then upstairs, thin lattices on the side blur the line between light and shadow. The route from entry to the entrance is an “indoor teien” experience, which represents the faint ambience in a Japanese garden.
Walking into the room, however, brightness and openness play strong contrast and tell a different narrative. At the ryotei a set of cypress counter lies, separating the space into dining area and working area.
Design Challenge
The whitewash lime wall and the niches show the essence of the space: simplicity. In a traditional ryotie, the working station is usually small and multilevel. Yet here in Sho, the station in opened up where chefs can work smoothly without bumping into each other. This also fits the new multiplex trend in Japanese cuisine. The celling is made of bamboos from Taiwan, reforming into a design that reminds the viewers not only subtle impressions of a wooden cabinet but also a sense of modern neatness. The seats with a Nordic style design are customized by craftsmen in Tainan. Different cultures blending in perfectly with each other in Sho, representing the exclusive spirit and the braveness to explore on this land.
Sustainability
“Real flavour does not lie in refined liquors or sumptuous dishes; only plain food gives forth a pure taste.” It is derived from the ancient book "Cai Gen Tan", and it is the spirit of Japanese cuisine that carries forward the spirit of this sentence. When everything in nature becomes food, and it fully presents its most original appearance and its most authentic taste essence, which is a manifestation of respect for food and the environment. To demonstrate this spirit, the design uses bamboo, cypress wood, slate and other materials to express its spirit.
Interior Design - International Commercial
Open to all international projects this award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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