Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang by Atsushi Kawaguchi

Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang by Atsushi Kawaguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Gangsa in Interior Competition Category.

GangsaInterior· 2026

Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang

by Atsushi Kawaguchi

Client: Ishidaya

A' Design Award Gangsa Winner in Interior Category

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Verified Award Winner
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Colors

The Design

About Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang

Teks Buku: Ishidaya adolah sabuah restoran Jepang di kawasan pusek kota Hanoi. Proyek ko mamakai Taisho Roman, suatu maso katiko budayo Jepang jo Barat basobok, sabagai karangkanyo, nan manjadi panengah antaro estetika Jepang jo watak Barat dari bangunan tu. Sabuah karangka kayu di ateh kaunter mamadukan pambangunan tradisional jo geometri Art Deco sarato bapungsi sabagai elemen visual nan utamo. Bukan sakadar hiasan, karangka tu mambantuak persepsi malalui cahayo jo sudut pandang nan barubah-ubah. Hasianyo adolah sabuah ruang nan tarapik nan malapehkan rujuakan budayo sarato manawarkan interpretasi nan jaleh tantang santapan kontemporer di Hanoi.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Gangsa

Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang adolah pamenang A' Design Award Gangsa, sabuah pangakuan nan sangaik bapresti nan dibarikan ka rancangan nan cemerlang nan dicirikan dek kreativitas, kacerdikan jo kabijaksanaan. Pamenang Gangsa adolah karya nan cukuik mahir jo kreatif sacaro mangesankan nan mamastikan pangalaman nan luas, imajinasi jo kacerdikan parancangnyo. Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang dipaokan manjadi bando nan sangaik dihormati, dikagumi jo disayangi, nan profesional jo inovatif sacaro nampak. Rancangan nan manang Gangsa iko mamuek praktik tabaik dalam seni, ilimu, rancangan jo teknologi jo cemerlang dalam parhatian ka rincian. Ishidaya Fungsi Utamo: Restoran Jepang mamanuhi kaparluan jo elok, manyantuah karinduan, mamikaik parasaan jo manarik raso ingin tahu.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

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.
Dimensions & Packaging: Renovation of existing buildings
Tags: Timeless atmosphere, Changing perception, Sense of depth, Quiet interaction
Production 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.
Design 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.
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.
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.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2024 in Hanoi and finished in April 2025.
Operation Flow: 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.
Image Credits: All photos / HIROYUKI OKI