Image Credit : Sefval Mogalana
Project Overview
Sushi Kaiyo is a three storey concept driven Japanese restaurant in the heart of Jakarta, Indonesia. Our team were engaged to provide an end to end solution in the way of strategy, branding, interior design and marketing for one of Indonesia's most prominent hospitality groups, the Boga Group.
Sushi Kaiyo tackles many different typologies surrounding the dining experience. It boasts a street facing retail area, a sushi bar, VIP rooms, children's play area and show kitchen. All of these spaces are weaved together via an impressive main staircase, inspired as a stairway to heaven from the depths of the ocean to the lightness of the sky.
Taking inspiration from the tactile and emotive principles of 'Earth, Wind and Fire', the interior finishes and aesthetics have been carefully chosen to 'gradient upward'. On the ground floor the timber is dark smoky walnut, upholstery is deep ocean blue and all mirrored surfaces are smoked as well. As you move upward, upholsteries change, custom shibori cushions adorn the banquette where the timber has become lighter and the surfaces brighter. The staircase has been finished in a white concrete hue to mimic streams of light piercing through the ocean as you ascend to the surface.
This concept is brought together with carefully considered details inspired by the Japandi design movement that marries together the ethos of wabi-sabi and hyggie.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Director: Eleena Tan
Lead Interior Designer: Sophie Metcalfe
Interior Designer: Emily Florencia
Client Relations Manager: Marcellyna Citra
Staircase Architect: At Lars Studio
Project Brief
In early Feb 2020, the Founder and CEO of Boga Group briefed BrandWorks on their vision to establish a brand new Japanese food concept with a focus on quality Sushi with an innovative twist. The engagement entailed developing a “high concept” experience with a cutting-edge brand, interiors and menu style for a proposed 300 sqm site within a shopping mall environment within Jakarta. Aimed at the rising affluent middle class of young families, office workers and food seekers, the new concept was designed so that it could be taken to other cities and similarly populated regions in Indonesia.
Significant resources and time was allocated on exploring the opportunities for the food, design aesthetic and the customer journey, which then extended to food consulting and menu design. This allowed BrandWorks to work closely with Boga Group and their operational team to explore, design and detail the entire brand and customer journey in a holistic way from start to finish.
Project Need
The staircase has been designed in collaboration with architecture studio AT-LARS. Following from the concept of the ocean layers, the stair is suspended from the ceiling and visually pulls you upward almost like sun streaming through water. Raked plaster and rendered surfaces flanking the stair seem to change and get lighter.
The mezzanine is dedicated to restaurant seating and the staircase works as a backdrop accentuating verticality in a space that tackles a low ceiling. Orb style feature lighting is suspended in the centre of the stair void to mimic air escaping water as you move upward from the depths of the ocean floor.
As you ascend to the top floor of the restaurant all finishes are bright and airy, materiality is soft and ethereal to make you feel like you've ascended to the top of the ocean's surface. The air bubble inspired lighting becomes more concentrated and tiered bleacher style seating has been designed to make the show kitchen take centre stage. Curtains adorn the ceiling to evoke feelings of waves lapping at the top of the ocean's surface. A custom artwork with recessed LED lighting accentuates the drama and temperamentality of the atmosphere, whilst all other surfaces are rendered in a white concrete hue.
Design Challenge
The site that we inherited was a challenge with existing structure and mechanical work, unstable subfloors and a lot of services disrupting the potential of the floorplan. We had to work with tight footprints on the horizontal plain whilst at the same time unlocking the potential of the space.
We deduced that the staircase is the hero of the project since vertical movement is paramount, but also shouldn't impede on the horizontal footprint too much and take up crucial dining space. This is where the team decided it would be best placed on the window line and work above the door. This opened up further retail space on the ground floor and clear access from the izakaya.
The space was designed at the height of the pandemic and not knowing what the future held, design decisions were made in order to ensure our space was future proofed. Subtle elements like custom branded banners were mounted in between each table so if social distancing was paramount each patron can be separated by a purpose built japanese inspired curtain without compromising on the spatial aesthetics.
Sustainability
The Japandi movement was chosen to not only tap into the culinary offer but also works in with the forward movement of ensuring our spaces focus on wellness as a priority. We asked ourselves, how does the space make the person feel warm, comfortable and at ease?
Natural materials like timber, stone and steel were prioritised and locally sourced where possible.
Interior Design - International Hospitality
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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