The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai by Yohei Akao - Strickland

The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai by Yohei Akao - Strickland is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Roto Whare me te Whakaaturanga Competition Category.

HiriwaRoto Whare· 2021

The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai

by Yohei Akao - Strickland

Client: Strickland

A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Roto Whare Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #120147

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

Colors

The Design

About The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai

Book Text: Ko te Wharekai Hapanihi he wharekai kai-i-te-rā-katoa i roto i tētahi rīhōti nui ki te Tāone o Nikko, i te Porowini o Tochigi, Nihōna. He 401 mita pūrua te rahi o te wāhi, e mahi ana i te huhi Edomae, te teppanyaki, te kai kaiseki me ngā rīhi a la carte. He ara whakawhiti roa me tētahi tāwhiti i whakaawenga e te toi Kanuma Kumiko e ārahi ana ki te tautaunga me te ruma kai matua, e titiro whakawaho ana ki te Maunga o Nantai. Ka karapoti ngā papatono teppanyaki me te huhi, tētahi ruma tatami, tētahi ruma motuhake me ngā nohonga papamahita i te rohe matua. E whakamahia ana ngā tāwhiti hoko-mate konumohe, ngā pakitara Juraku kōwhai me tētahi papa whero whakairo o ngā tipu ā-rohe.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko The Japanese Restaurant Primary Function: Roto Wharekai he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Nikko City in Tochigi Prefecture, about two and a half hours from Tokyo, located at The Ritz-Carlton Nikko, a luxury resort, overlooking Mt. Nantai on the shores of Lake Chuzenji.
A specialty restaurant that offers Edomae sushi, Teppanyaki, Kaiseki cuisine, and a la carte while being an all-day dining restaurant. Passing through the long corridor from its entrance, there is a main dining room with a view of Mt. Nantai, various seats such as a tatami room and a counter enjoying dining.
Dimensions & Packaging: The total area of this restaurant is 401 square meters.
It has a main dining area, Teppanyaki room, Sushi room, private dining room and terrace seating area.
Tags: hotel, restaurant, luxury, hospitality
Production Technology: ・ Aluminum die-cast lattice inspired by traditional craft, Kanuma Kumiko
・ Yellow Juraku wall inspired by the Shoin-zukuri
・ A red carving panel with the motif of seasonal plants that live around Lake Chuzenji in collaboration with a master of Nikko carving.
Design Challenge: The most challenging content for us was how to replace traditional Japanese crafts with modern ones suitable for luxury hotels. Replacing materials from wood to metal and giving patterns a more modern look. Using various methods such as changing the scale of the pattern, trial and error was carried out to maintain modernity and a sense of grade, and finally the design was completed. It was also challenging to collaborate with the son of a master craftsman of Nikko Toshogu. After repeated discussions, we carefully derived the scale of the motif and the depth of carving.
Research: In design, researching on the "location" and "history" of land is very important. What happened in this place, what was happening in this place?
The town of Nikko, on a high mountain, in front of Lake Chuzenji, a place that used to be a summer resort. Gradually narrowing the scope of research, we carefully narrowed down the appropriate way of land. Ultimately, it should be the only space with a story that can only be expressed in this land.
Inspiration: There are 3 design cores.
The first is "traditional Japanese residence composition" which has the corridor, tea room, Shoin-zukuri, and garden. The second is "Nature of Nikko". Inspired by the flora and fauna that live around Lake Chuzenji in Nikko, replaced with a modern interpretation, and used for patterns. The final is "Nikko Craftsmanship". A collection of master craftsmen from all over Japan during the construction of Nikko Toshogu, which is now a World Heritage Site, and as a result, various crafts that make use of this land-specific technology remain.
Project Duration: The project finished in July 2020, located in Nikko city, Japan.
Operation Flow: Guests arrive at the reception as they pass through a long corridor of light and shadow woven by a lattice inspired by Kanuma Kumiko. The reception counter adopts Japanese tea ceremony, boiling water and inviting guests with tea hospitality. Further through the corridor, you will encounter a large space in the large main dining room, with a sloping lattice ceiling covered with indirect lighting. In addition, there are private rooms for teppanyaki counters, sushi counters, and tatami mats around the main dining area.
Patents: Copyright @ STRICKLAND
Team Members: Lighting Designer : WORKTECHT LIGHTING DESIGN & CONSULTANT
Art Consultant : ART FRONT GALLERY
Image Credits: Photographer Yoshio Shiratori