Press Release
Takumi Restaurant by Yu Ting Liu and Ling Ling Xiao - NI Space Design Is Granted the Silver A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Yu Ting Liu and Ling Ling Xiao - NI Space Design acknowledged for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Takumi Restaurant by Yu Ting Liu and Ling Ling Xiao - NI Space Design, designed for NI Space Design, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Silver A' Design Award
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Takumi Restaurant
Takumi is a restaurant interior built around robatayaki, a Japanese method of grilling food on an open square grill. The layout is arranged like a theater. Curves and high ceilings shape the space, and staggered seating gives every guest a clear view of the chef's counter. Metal mesh, mosaic tiles, glass bricks and terrazzo flooring add transparency and depth. Orange-red tones recall the warmth of fire, while gray tones balance the scheme. Semi-open dining areas and private booths improve privacy. The venue covers 264.4 square meters.
About Yu Ting Liu and Ling Ling Xiao - NI Space Design
NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design NI Space Design
Award Record
Yu Ting Liu and Ling Ling Xiao - NI Space Design is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/164239
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/164239
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!164239
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/359044
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Takumi Restaurant
- Function
- Restaurant
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Saddle Brown, Black, Maroon, Dark Slate Gray and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- NI Space Design
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yu Ting Liu and Ling Ling Xiao - NI Space Design
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #164239
Credits
- Team
- Yu-Ting Liu, Ling-Ling Xiao
- Image Credits
- NI Space Design
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Robatayaki refers to a cooking method where food is grilled on a square, open grill, with people gathered around to watch and enjoy. Building on this imagery, the designers broke away from traditional Japanese frameworks, using curves and high ceilings to create a theatrical effect. The interwoven arcs create diverse scenes. With the robatayaki bar as the core, seating is layered and staggered, providing the depth of a stage. The freely flowing curves overlap within the space. Glass brick walls add an illusionary element, transforming the restaurant into a grand performance venue.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by traditional Japanese cuisine, robatayaki is a sensory cooking method where ingredients are arranged around a brick grill. It offers diners an exquisite dining experience, which is also one of the brand's distinctive features. In the past, the design concept often focused on restoring classic Japanese elements. However, the owner wanted this restaurant to have a different style. The designers combined a dramatic layout with semi-open dining areas to enhance privacy and visual appeal.
- Research
- The space is designed like a theater, with curves and high ceilings creating a layered seating arrangement. Every seat offers a perfect view of the chef's culinary artistry while also enhancing privacy. The orange-red tones and reflective materials recreate the robatayaki cooking process, with metal mesh and glass bricks interwoven into the details. As the aroma of fresh ingredients fills the air, dinners can experience a sensory journey. The remodeling project undoubtedly allows the brand to once again capture the market's favor, this time with an even more innovative and modern flair.
- Challenge
- Challenges included differences in material selection and construction standards. Since the site is located in Shanghai, known as the 'fashion capital,' the design had to be impeccably eye-catching. Due to regional differences in materials, some ideas could not be fully realized as originally planned, leading to the need to replace certain design elements. Fortunately, the final adjustments resulted in a high-standard, high-quality presentation. The designers preserved the aesthetic and functionality of the project, demonstrating adaptability and innovative thinking in the face of challenges.
- Realization and Technology
- Metal mesh, mosaic tiles, glass bricks, and terrazzo flooring create a sense of transparency and modernity, while also enhancing openness and interaction. Departing from the traditional Japanese palette of light beige, the design primarily uses orange-red tones to evoke the warmth and vibrancy of fire. Gray tones are incorporated to balance the intensity of the overall color scheme, making the space more visually appealing and expressive. The VIP booths are particularly highlighted for their uniqueness and luxury.
- Operation and Interaction
- The renovated restaurant enhances the brand's image while increasing the venue's appeal. Moreover, the restaurant's reopening during the post-pandemic recovery period saw a noticeable increase in per-customer spending, indicating that the restaurant's market positioning and renovation strategy successfully attracted a more upscale clientele. The service model, which combines specialty cuisine with interior design, further solidified the restaurant's position in the local culinary scene, bringing in a new and loyal customer base.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project finished in January 2024 in Shanghai.
- Specifications
- The total area of the venue, excluding the kitchen, is 264.4 square meters, encompassing the chef's counter (itamae) area, VIP booths, open seating area, booths, and waiting area. The first impression is created by the waiting area, which also serves as a photo spot. The area features a main visual element of a flaming washi paper artwork, connecting with the image of a grill. As one moves to the right and enters the restaurant, the staggered layout ensures that every seating area has a clear view of the robatayaki grilling at the chef's counter (itamae).
- Keywords
- Robatayaki, Modern Aesthetics, Dramatic Space, Orange-Red Tone, Visual Feast
