Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur by Tetsuya Matsumoto

Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur by Tetsuya Matsumoto is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award an Bronze in Inneraum an Ausstellungsdesign Competition Category.

BronzeInterieur· 2025

Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur

by Tetsuya Matsumoto

Client: The Blarney Stone

A' Design Award an Bronze Winner in Interieur Category

16,776

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #169985

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur

Blarney ass en Interieur-Design fir en irescht Pub a Café zu Osaka, Japan. De Raum bedéngt Clienten vu fréimuerges bis spéit an d'Nuecht. De Schaf hannert dem Comptoir benotzt Dréiportessen, déi tëscht Regaler fir alkoholesch Gedrénks a Regaler fir Café-Utensilie wiesselen. Schwéier traditionell Dekoratioun gouf duerch monochrom Konscht ersat, déi direkt op d'Maueren gemoolt ass a keltesch kulturell Elementer an Interpretatioune vun ikonesche Postere weist. All Dëscher hunn déi selwecht Héicht wéi de Barcomptoir, fir sech dem schmuele Raum unzepassen. D'Gesamtfläch mécht 70,78 Quadratmeter aus.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award an Bronze

Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur ass e Gewënner vum A' Design Award an Bronze, enger héich prestigiéiser Unerkennung, déi un erausragend Designe vergi gëtt, déi sech duerch Kreativitéit, Erfindungsgab a Schlauheet ausgezeechnen. Bronze-Gewënner si voll Fäegkeet a opfälleg kreativ Wierker, déi déi grouss Erfahrung, d'Fantasie an d'Ressourceréichtum vun hire Designer bestätegen. Et gëtt erwaart, datt Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur e héich geschätzt, bewonnert a beléifte Géigestand ass, bemierkenswäert professionell an innovativ. Dëst mam Bronze ausgezeechent Design integréiert déi beschte Praktike vun der Konscht, der Wëssenschaft, vum Design an der Technologie an zeechent sech duerch Opmierksamkeet fir Detailer aus. Blarney Irescht Pub An Café Interieur erfëllt Bedierfnesser exzellent, beréiert Wënsch, bezauberet Gefiller an erweckt Neigierecht.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: For its third location as an Irish pub in Osaka, Blarney had to shift its business model to be able to serves customers from early morning to late night. To allow this transition the counter back cabinet uses a system of swinging doors altering between alcoholic beverages and cafe utensils shelves. Compared to a traditional Irish pub the heavy decoration was scraped out and replaced by monochrome art painted directly on the walls of the pub, and representing Irish culture and iconic posters.
Dimensions & Packaging: Gross Built Area: 70.78sqm
W12085mm x D7050mm x H2800mm
Tags: Japan, Osaka, Irish, Pub, Cafe, Flexible, interior, hospitality, bar, art
Production Technology: The walls are made using drywall techniques. They were then divided into three sections. A lower one is finished with cement based material. The middle part is finished in covering sheet with a rusted metal motif. And the upper part is finished in the same grey wall cloth as the ceiling. An indirect light line separates the wall parts. The art was painted directly on the top of the rust metal sheet.
Design Challenge: The middle ground between heavily decorated Irish pub and soft and relaxing atmosphere of a cafe can hardly be determined. Two strategies were adopted. The first is to design a counter back cabinet that showcases both alcoholic beverages and cafe utensils by creating pivoting doors. The second is to abstain from using any kind of traditional decoration and replace it with wall painting inspired by Irish culture elements and iconic posters interpretations.
Research: The project had to deal with a prominent dilemma that is related to its situation. The facility has strict rules that force the shop to open and provide services from early morning to late night. An Irish pub working hours is essentially in the afternoon and evening time, thus the need to convert the space to provide cafe services as well. The research consisted of balancing two different aesthetics of heavy Irish pubs and soft atmosphere of a cafe without loosing function of one or the other.
Inspiration: The bar and cafe cabinet are inspired by traditional furniture and black board signage. And added a twist by allowing them to pivot between the two, uncovering one or the other every time. The art on the wall refers to Irish cultural elements including the Blarney castle, the four leaf clove, the harp and some traditional motifs. The art also interprets some iconic posters for Irish whiskey and Guinness beer.
Project Duration: Project start: June 2023.
Construction starts: April 2024.
Project/Construction End: July 2024.

Location:
Osaka, Japan.
Operation Flow: The shop has an almost trapezoidal shape with two sides open to the corridor shared with all the other restaurants. The closed kitchen is set to be in the corner with two walls. It extends with the counter space along the large wall and ends with the coffee machine space that is placed specifically to serve morning commuters. To avoid awkward positions in the narrow space all tables in the hall are set to the same height as the bar counter.
Team Members: Tetsuya Matsumoto
Image Credits: Image #1: photographer ©Senichiro Nogami, Blarney, 2024.
Image #2: photographer ©Senichiro Nogami, Blarney, 2024.
Image #3: photographer ©Senichiro Nogami, Blarney, 2024.
Image #4: photographer ©Senichiro Nogami, Blarney, 2024.
Image #5: photographer ©Senichiro Nogami, Blarney, 2024.