Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Goes to Ishidaya Japanese Restaurant by Atsushi Kawaguchi
Atsushi Kawaguchi of Dca recognized for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for Ishidaya Japanese Restaurant by Atsushi Kawaguchi of Dca, designed for Ishidaya. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached 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.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
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.
Regarding Ishidaya Japanese Restaurant
Ishidaya is a Japanese restaurant in the central district of Hanoi. The project uses Taisho Roman, a period when Japanese and Western cultures intersected, as its framework, mediating between Japanese aesthetics and the building's Western character. A wooden framework above the counter combines traditional construction with Art Deco geometry and acts as a key visual element. Rather than decoration, it shapes perception through light and changing viewpoints. The result is a restrained space that layers cultural references and offers a clear interpretation of contemporary dining in Hanoi.
About Dca
We are a Japanese design company based in Hochiminh-City, Vietnam. The main work content is interior design, furniture manufacture, export of wood products. We also operate a furniture manufacturing factory.
Award Record
Atsushi Kawaguchi of Dca is a winner of 3 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2017 - 2018 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
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/180958
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180958
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180958
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/169911
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://dreamcomesasia.com
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
- Ishidaya Japanese Restaurant
- Function
- Japanese Restaurant
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Black, Saddle Brown, Sienna, Peru and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Ishidaya
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Atsushi Kawaguchi
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Brand
- Dca
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180958
Credits
- Image Credits
- All photos / HIROYUKI OKI
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This design is a spatial centerpiece that quietly responds to people rather than technology. Its form never moves, yet it feels different from every position, shaped by light, shadow, and human presence. Unlike decorative elements that are simply observed, this design creates a subtle dialogue with its surroundings, offering depth, calm, and a lasting sense of place through simplicity and restraint.
- Inspiration
- ISHIDAYA is a Japanese restaurant located in the center of Hanoi. Inspired by Taisho Roman, a period when Japanese and Western cultures intersected, the design harmonizes Japanese aesthetics with the building’s original Western character. A sculptural wooden framework above the counter combines traditional Japanese construction with Art Deco geometry, creating a refined space where dining, drinking, and cultural storytelling come together in contemporary Hanoi.
- Research
- For ISHIDAYA the research began by understanding the building and its use. The structure showed traces of Western decoration, while the design required a Japanese sensibility. To connect these elements we studied moments in history when East and West blended naturally. This led to Taisho Roman, which guided choices in materials colors and mood, creating a space that feels unified clear and suited to present day Hanoi.
- Challenge
- In designing ISHIDAYA we faced challenges from both cultural context and practical limits. The building showed Western decorative traces while the space required a Japanese aesthetic. To connect these influences we adopted the idea of Taisho Roman, a period when East and West blended naturally. This concept guided choices in materials colors light and space. Through close work with craftsmen and repeated testing the design was refined into a space that respects cultural roots and feels natural to use.
- Realization and Technology
- The design process began not with form, but with experience. We first observed how people move, pause, and look within the space. Instead of adding complexity, simple elements were repeated and layered so perception changes as people move. The design does not rely on mechanisms or instructions; human presence itself creates variation. This approach results in a calm, durable, and lasting spatial experience.
- Operation and Interaction
- Hanged wood frame is not something you press or control. It responds simply to people being there. As you walk, sit, or look up, its shape feels different. From one angle it looks calm, from another it feels complex, and from below it seems to float. Nothing actually moves, but your position changes how it appears. Light and shadow shift naturally, creating a quiet interaction. Because it relies on people, not machines, it stays simple, stable, and always engaging.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in August 2024 in Hanoi and finished in April 2025.
- Specifications
- Renovation of existing buildings
- Keywords
- Timeless atmosphere, Changing perception, Sense of depth, Quiet interaction
