K Romantic Restaurants
 azumi Restaurant Design Company: Jean de Lessard Designters: Creatif Location: Montreal, Canada Photographer: Jean Malek
project description
Origami is the ancient and celebrated Japanese art of paper folding: by folding one or several sheets of paper, one creates a shape, a decoration. This art originated in ceremonies in which folded pieces of paper were used to ornament jugs of sake. It is in this spirit of art and celebration that the design firm approached the interior design of the Kazumi Japanese restaurant. The designer’s intuition is perfect: a giant origami covering the main part of the kitchen, which gives onto the dining room; the angular shape, pierced with sushi-pink translucent glass, on its own creates the ambience and tone of the restaurant. The colourful opening also gives a glimpse of the intense work being done in the kitchen. As soon as they enter, customers are enveloped in a corridor of clear glass set into brightly striped walls. The vinyl covering, in a motif created by the designer and factory-printed, invariably draws the eye toward the sushi counter, the restaurant’s main room.
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Dealing with a rectangular space without a large opening to the exterior, the design company had to use imagination to work with angles of view and create dynamic visual points of impact, while maintaining an overall impression of simplicity and balance. By using dark curtains to dampen the sound level and playing with the transparency of certain walls, the designer has given some materials a double function, thus optimizing his design. With a contemporary approach and through use of colour, the design company has transposed the essence of Restaurant Kazumi into its interior design: a colourful cuisine in a stimulating, friendly setting.
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Israel Ramat Yishay restaurant
 teak 954 Design Company: Gilles ET Boissier Location: USA
project description
The designer’s affection for lamps is evident in the interior design of this restaurant: lamps in elongated shape set in the corridor can provide adequate light; pint-size lava lamp and large bamboo lighting fixtures are used to increase romantic atmosphere; the antique droplight in the private dining area is then introduced in the interior decoration.
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The wallpaper and some of the artworks are patterned with pastoral feeling, echoing with the design concept: a venue for relaxation. Grey wooden fence is selected to divide the main dining area and the private area, adding a touch of dignity to the space. Blue, brown and grey are the predominant colors: blue leather sofa, brown table surface and the grey wall paper. Except for the sundry shapes of lighting fixtures, chairs in the private dining area are also adorable, appearing to be spoiled kids being crouched on the floor. Guests can either enjoy the delicious food, or appreciate the seascape, or listen to the artistic music.
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Israel Ramat Yishay restaurant
ru Restaurant Design Company: Mbg Architecture + Design Inc. Location: Vancouver, Canada Area: 613 m2 Photographer: Mgb Architecture + Design Inc. :Photos 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, Arnaldo Rodriguez: Photos 5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15
project description
Oru is the new restaurant in the recently completed Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The Pan Asian restaurant and two level bars will serve hotel guests and the public with a full day and evening menu. The ambition was for a destination restaurant with a character that could adapt to a culturally diverse menu. The designers developed a cohesive solution for Oru from interiors through to branding and bespoke furniture. The designers were responsible for every detail of the restaurant from the overall concept to minute details ranging from custom chairs and planters to chop sticks, place settings and menu design.
The name Oru is derived from the Japanese meaning “to fold”. Intended to emphasize folding as one of the key visual elements of the restaurant, a spectacular 55-meter- long by 1.5-meter- wide origami paper sculpture was designed on the ceiling to run the length of the restaurant. The stunning piece provided the solution to several challenges the designers faced. Firstly, it provided a strong element that was visible from the street level below as well as the hotel lobby, helping to draw patrons up to the restaurant’s second floor location. Again, the origami piece created the solution by providing a very textural element during the day and a unique illuminated sculpture at night.
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Designers introduced a large amount of wood to provide a warm westcoast sensibility. Along with an oiled oak floor and custom designed wood chairs and bar stools, a full-height paneled wood wall was introduced to lead people from the restaurant’s entrance through to the main dining area. The wood panels were cut and laid in a geometric pattern that mimics the folded sections of the origami piece above. On the dining side, it holds the banquette seating and intersecting group dining table, while open sections provide glances through to the wine tasting room and private dining room.
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