Italian Restaurant in Nishiazabu, Tokyo
Opening the door and descending the stairs to the basement, the space looks like a quarry or a cave. The interesting relationship between the volumes of the structure itself, which we first saw in this place, and the sense of weight were shaped so as not to lose them.
Various shaped volumes made of concrete, stone, earth, and other heavy materials (high ceiling surface, low slanting ceiling volume, cylinders, rectangles, sawtooth shapes, etc.) cut through the basement and collide with each other. These volumes were finished with plastering that gives a sense of texture. The wall behind the counter has the look created by the removal of tiles. The space is composed of African teak counters and fixtures with natural materiality and lightness interwoven in the gaps between them. The wall behind the counter has the look created by the removal of the tiles.
The open kitchen extends throughout the restaurant, allowing diners to watch the chefs at work up close. The private rooms are made up of high arc-shaped ceilings and round walls, giving people a sense of centrality and enveloping unity.
In the gap where volumes collide, a place where one can enjoy a meal while feeling the liveliness of the kitchen has emerged.
Photographer::ad hoc Co., Ltd. Daisuke Shima