Manhattan’s West Village restaurant, Takashi, isn’t your average barbecue joint. To learn more, we spoke with Chef Takashi about preparing beef cuisine, quite literally, from nose to tail. Blending Korean and Japanese flavors and cooking…
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The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, east of City Hall and Little Tokyo, has long been known as a haven for artists and creatives. The industrial buildings mix multi-use living and working spaces with bars, food, factories and all kinds of…
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The penultimate project in Polish designer Karina Wiciak’s series of fantasy restaurants depicts tables locked up in prison cells.
Karina Wiciak, of Poland studio Wamhouse, created the renderings of a restaurant to emulate a prison and called the design Poczekalnia, which means “waiting room” in Polish.
“Not only the interior but also the name of the restaurant itself is a kind of metaphor, because the prison itself can be euphemistically described as a kind of waiting room,” said the designer.
Orange fabric used for curtains and rugs references the bright uniforms worn by prisoners. The otherwise monochrome interior features whitewashed bricks walls and wooden floors, with black bars forming partitions and covering the windows.
These vertical bars are also used for the backs of chairs and the bases of tables. VIP tables are caged-in on all sides, accessed by doors with giant locks.
Lights are fixed into handcuffs and suspended from the ceiling on long chains, while chandeliers are formed from sets of keys.
The restaurant’s serving counter is also surrounded by bars, where a knotted length of orange material leads out of a barred window like an escape route.
This project is the eleventh of twelve conceptual restaurant designs by Wiciak. Previous interiors in the series are modelled on an artist’s paint palette, a sewing machine and a slaughterhouse.
Here’s some more information from the designer:
Poczekalnia
Poczekalnia is the eleventh project of the collection “XII”, designed entirely by Karina Wiciak.
Poczekalnia (which in Polish means “waiting room”) is a restaurant inspired by the prison.
Not only the interior but also the name of the restaurant itself is a kind of metaphor, because the prison itself can be euphemistically described as a kind of waiting room.
The entire interior was done in white and black Pop Art colours, with the addition of orange fabric – as a characteristic element of clothing of convicts in prison.
Prison bars, and even the cells in which paradoxically the VIP rooms are located, are the main element of the design. The bar is also behind the prison bars, and the toilets are designed in the form of iron cages, enclosed with orange curtains and glass wall (outside).
Hanging lamps in the shape of handcuffs and a chandelier in the form of a key chain are another prison motives. Interiors are complemented by tables and chairs with motive of bars and a big key lock.
The project of “Poczekalnia” also includes:
» Table “kraty” (which in Polish means “prison bars”)
» Chair “kraty” (which in Polish means “prison bars”)
» Hooker chair “kraty” (which in Polish means “prison bars”)
» Hanging lamp “kajdanki” (which in Polish means “handcuffs”)
» Chandelier “klucze” (which in Polish means “keys”)
About the collection XII – entirely designed by Karina Wiciak
The collection “XII” will consist of 12 thematic interior designs, together with furniture and fittings, which in each part will be interconnected, not only in terms of style, but also by name. Each subsequent design will be created within one month, and the entire collection will take one year to create.
Here, visualisation is to constitute more than a design, which is thrown away after implementation of the interior design, but mainly an image, which has a deeper meaning and can function individually.
These will not be interiors made to a specific order, but designs based on the author’s fantasy and his fascinations of various sorts. It will be possible to order a specific interior design in the form of adaptation of the selected part of the collection, on the basis of exclusivity.
The author’s assumption was not to create trite, fashionable interiors, but non-standard places, full of symbols and metaphors, at the borderline between architecture and scenography.
Due to their nature, these are mostly commercial interiors, intended for use and reception by a larger group of people. Yet, it was not supposed to be an art gallery, in which art is merely watched, but places in which it could be put into use and to do virtually everything – depending on the purpose and function of the premises.
The author of the collection did not strive to artificially ascribe ideology to random ideas, but rather to make the entire design readable and coherent, and at the same time to design every item specifically for the given interior.
The post Imaginary restaurant designed
like a prison by Karina Wiciak appeared first on Dezeen.
During the holiday season, celebratory eating out can sometimes get a little too decadent—leaving you with a tummy ache and regrets. For a different kind of dining experience, have a taste of Martha’s Vineyard at the pop-up restaurant );…
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These hyper-realistic renderings by designer Michael Samoriz depict a cafe proposed for Ukraine with wooden beams criss-crossing over its ceiling.
Ukraine designer Michael Samoriz, co-founder of Umbra Design, created the 3D visualisations to show his design for the Bristol2 cafe planned for the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine.
The designer modelled the interior with black walls that will be textured using a cement-based covering called Microcemento, which creates continuous surfaces without joints and grooves.
European birch beams will intersect at different angles across the ceiling of the 110-square-metre space, contrasting with the black walls. “We wanted to make the project expressive, fresh and modern, using natural materials and finishes,” said Samoriz.
A wooden dining surface at bar height will be cantilevered from a central concrete pillar, while large conical lampshades will hang over individual square tables.
At one end of the cafe, angled lamps will hang from a horizontal I beam on the wall, directing light onto circular black tables surrounded by stools.
Wine racks will store bottles above the bar and doorways, while wooden toilet cubicles stamped with a “fragile” motif like a packing crate will sit at the rear of the store.
The project is due for completion in summer 2014.
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in Ukraine appeared first on Dezeen.
Undulating branches emerge from the centre of a dining table at this Swiss natural foods restaurant by Ippolito Fleitz Group (+ slideshow + photographs by Zooey Braun).
The Not Guilty restaurant in Zurich by German studio Ippolito Fleitz Group features a canopy of white lacquered steel pipes that poke up through a canopy of ribbons. “The meandering branches of the trees create a focal point from outside the restaurant, drawing one’s gaze from the street through the elongated floor plan,” the architects told Dezeen.
Diagonally and vertically strung twine in varying thicknesses is installed on the walls above dining tables to the rear of the restaurant.
“The woven pattern on the walls was created from dark and light coloured henna twine, backlit with cove lighting built into the supporting frame,” said the designers.
Vertical strips rise from the back of circular booths and curve at ceiling height to look like oversized birdcages.
Monochrome illustrations feature on the opposite wall in white frames against pink-coloured surfaces.
At the front of the store, drinks and other products are displayed in alcoves. A large extractor fan is encased in glass and positioned in between the salad bar and the dining area.
This is the third branch of the Not Guilty restaurant chain to open in Zurich. The first two were also designed by the Ippolito Fleitz Group.
Here is some more information from the designer:
The Swiss restaurant chain “not guilty” is the embodiment of honest and nutritious foods, imaginatively prepared into many different salads and snacks.
The downtown Zurich location, opened in 2013, is now the 3rd location of the “not guilty” expansion to have opened.
In this flagship locale, the philosophy of a “little heaven on Earth” is expressed in the store’s interior, inspiring those within to delight in the harmony of nature.
The long, open restaurant welcomes its guests with the familiar tones and textures of natural oak wood flooring combined with mixture of delicate white and pastel tones.
The entrance focal point is the colourful salad bar, and a menu board designed like a kitchen hutch.
But even from outside, the guests are invited simply to join the other guests at the long, central, high table canopied by the meandering, white lacquered branches of floor to ceiling trees.
Nearby, several other types of seating are also available – something to everyone’s taste. The dominant materials within the space speak to purity, synonymous with the wholesome standard of the chain.
Playful and unexpected elements, like the taught, twisted canvas ceiling bands, and the cloud and hemp twine wall graphic underline the attention to, and love of detail – a reflection of the passion and honesty of the “not guilty” family.
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trees in natural foods restaurant appeared first on Dezeen.
by David Graver and Katie Olsen Everybody has a recommendation to offer regarding a trip to Paris; those who have visited “La Ville-Lumière” claim a favorite spot and are ever-eager to share it. Generally, however, they’re all quite personal or, on the contrary, quite touristy. It’s a city known for…
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A wooden canopy made of irregular timber lengths sprawls across the ceiling of this Thai noodle bar in Warsaw, Poland, by Moko architects (+ slideshow).
Referencing Thailand’s covered street food markets, the Tuk Tuk bar by Moko architects is contained in a small room that features an angular timber installation.
“Thai cuisine in Poland is usually associated with expensive sublime meals in large restaurants,” said the designers. “The concept of TUK TUK was to bring the people living in Warsaw closer to the atmosphere of street food in Bangkok.”
The dining area is covered by the freestanding wooden structure, lit by tubular lamps attached along the timber lengths.
The walls and floor of the restaurant are painted in light green to the height of the canopy, then the tops of the walls and ceiling are coloured black so the wood stands out.
A granite work surface separates the open kitchen at the back from the dining area towards the front of the restaurant.
Photography is by Grzegorz Sztybal.
Here is some more information from the designers:
Thai cuisine in Poland is usually associated with expensive sublime meals in large restaurants. There is no tradition of eating fresh food in small restaurants in the city or street food.
The concept of TUK TUK was to bring the people living in Warsaw closer to the atmosphere of street food in Bangkok. In our opinion it seems rather like a lack of order and rules, a bit of chaos and food prepared with fresh local products which tastes and smells delicious.
An inspiration for this project were the structures which can be seen above the markets in Thailand. In this single room of the restaurant we have designed an installation of square timber elements which appears to be out of order. It constitutes the vault and roof supporting the installed lights. Additionally, its aim is to attract the consumers.
The restaurant is illuminated using fluorescent lamps mounted in irregular intervals and at various heights. The lamps provide two different shades of light – intense warmth and intense coldness. Under the above structure, small tables and colourful stools are placed irregularly.
Initially, we proposed to use plastic stools, which are very often used in Thailand, but since it was impossible to acquire them, as a temporary option we used standard tools which are easily available.
There is no determined method of placing the tables – they can be freely arranged depending on the guests’ needs. The entire design is matched with a neutral interior which features finishing materials so often used in Thailand street food restaurants, i.e. inexpensive terrazzo tiles. The kitchen is open and forms a stage where the chef is a starring actor.
The design of TUK TUK does not contain any strict principles or a mathematical formula – it is merely an impression and a freely transformed collection of memories and associations brought here from a trip to Thailand.
Project name: TUK TUK – thai street food bar
Project city: Warsaw , Poland
Designers/architects: Moko Architects / MFRMGR / Marta Frejda , Michał Gratkowski /
Collaboration: Monika Kolon, Zofia Wyganowska, Pamela Krzyszczak
Status of project: completed in 2013
Usable floor area: 35 m2
The post Thai noodle bar with a forest-like wooden
canopy by Moko Architects appeared first on Dezeen.
So far in Beijing, the exploration of culinary culture has mainly moved on the boundaries of regional ethnic food. Spicy Sichuan delicacies—which used to have a strong grasp on the capital’s food scene in the past decade—passed the torch to the natural flavors…
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At times—even in NYC—it can feel like nothing is happening nearby. To keep you connected CO Everywhere lets users tap into any area, whether you’re physically there or not. The…
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