Sushi Koji Restaurant by Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design

Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata honored for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 20, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Sushi Koji Restaurant by Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata, designed for Sushi koji, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 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.

What the Bronze A' Design Award Means

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

More About Sushi Koji Restaurant

This sushi restaurant uses an abundance of natural materials. The design was inspired by the owner's warm personality and his attitude as a craftsman. The counter was made of ginkgo and padouk wood, cut with a custom blade and finished smooth to the edges, and scraps were used for the sushi board. Chairs made of local cypress were designed to highlight the grain of the wood. Washi on the walls was made from processed mulberry, and organic patterns were created by pouring Gofun on the paper during the papermaking process. These elements creating an atmosphere that can only be felt here.

About Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata

An architectural design firm led by Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata. Based in Fukuoka, they handle a wide range of design projects nationwide, including commercial spaces, residential architecture, interiors, furniture, and products. Recent notable works include "GC Nagasaki Dental Station" (2023), "Sushi Koji" (2022), "fan" (2022), and "House in Unzen" (2021). Major awards include the GERMAN DESIGN AWARD 2024 GOLD (2023), KUKAN DESIGN AWARD 2023 (2023), JID AWARD 2023 Interior Product division (2023), JAPAN WOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 (2023), and JID AWARD 2022 NEXT AGE division (2022).

Award Record

With this recognition, Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

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/152864
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/152864
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!152864
Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/346276
Further Information from the Laureate: https://studiomoun.com/archives/works/sushikoji

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: Sushi Koji Restaurant
Function: Restaurant
Category: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Discipline: Spatial Design
Industry: Architecture and Packaging & Retail
Colors: Black, Saddle Brown, Dark Olive Green, Dim Gray and Gray
Images: 5
Client: Sushi koji

The Recognition

Laureate: Ryuji Kojo and Toshihiro Obata
Country: Japan
Recognition: Bronze A' Design Award
Edition: 2023 - 2024
Design ID: #152864

Credits

Team: STUDIO MOUN, Ryuji Kojo + Toshihiro Obata / STUDIO MOUN, Yasutsunegumi, Hanae Yoshizaki / H Branding Works, Natsuko Saka / TSUTO, Mikiko Kayama, Ryohei Koyama / ModuleX, Kamisukishikoushitsu and Wataru Sakai
Image Credits: 4 : Photographer Toshihisa Ishii / Blitz Studio; Photographer Airi Inoue

Design Details

Unique Properties: The sushi restaurant was designed using natural materials. There is only an 8-seat counter where guests can enjoy the sushi while watching the chef's work. The scrap ginkgo wood used for the countertop was utilized for the sushi board and cutting board. Chairs designed with the grain of the wood in mind, walls covered with original Washi, and signboards made of maple plates dyed by iron mordant not only reduce the waste of resources, but also create a healing effect with the use of solid wood.
Inspiration: Client is a sushi chef who has worked at many famous restaurants. In designing a sushi restaurant that would open when he became independent, we were inspired by him. To embody his warm personality and his attitude as a craftsman who brings out the flavor of ingredients, we created a space that gently envelops guests with soft materials. The space, created while taking advantage of the original characteristics of materials, will grow in depth with time, fostering an atmosphere only felt here.
Research: In working on the project, we considered "design as a brand". We extended the owner's worldview and spatial experience by directing a wide range of tools to communicate the store (brand), such as signage, business cards, and thank-you letters, using a space design approach and some of the materials used.
Challenge: The challenge was to efficiently arrange the seats without making it feel cramped. We placed great importance on the design of "ma", a uniquely Japanese aesthetic that is expressed in Japanese architecture and art. The fan-shaped counters and ceiling design give the impression of spreading endlessly. On the walls with minimal decoration, a single-flower vase is placed, creating a relationship in which the flowers and the blank space enhance each other. People can feel more expansive than area.
Realization and Technology: Avoiding the use of industrial products as much as possible, original handmade Washi and solid wood were used as the main materials. Washi on the walls was made by processing mulberry, and organic patterns were created by pouring gofun (Japanese powdered pigment) during the papermaking process. The countertops were cut with a custom blade to smooth the edges, and the chairs made of local cypress were joined with double mortise and tenon to ensure high strength and durability.
Operation and Interaction: In order to create the maximum number of seats, the counter is designed fan-shaped. By doing this, creating a space around the entrance that separates it from the seating area, and also creating a gently changing scene in a space of only 24 m2. Guests pass through the door covered with cedar planks, change their minds at the entrance, and arrive at the seating area as if guided by the curved wall. They can enjoy sushi without worrying about the outside or the comings and goings of people.
Project Duration and Location: Completed in December 2022, Fukuoka city, Japan
Keywords: Interior, Restaurant, Sushi, Material, Japan, Fukuoka