In Tokyo, “architecture and design are sleek, simple and modern, and so is Japanese cuisine,” says Doug Horst, president, Horst Design Intl., which had 17 weeks to transform a section of a former grocery into the 6000-square-foot Nisen Sushi restaurant. “The environments in a well-designed, high-end Japanese restaurant need to embody the ‘less is more’ aesthetic.”
A series of 5-foot-wide, fabric-covered arches usher guests from the softly lighted spa-like reception into the lounge/bar, with its hints of sea and sand. A wavy gypsum panel spans one of the bar’s tall walls. In the dining room, uplights dramatize the contrasts of a highly textured wall that combines smooth and rough-cut blackstone. A layered ceiling composed of floating zebra wood panels not only defines the experiences but helps to deaden sound.
Project Participants
Client
Nisen Sushi, Woodbury, N.Y.
Design/Architect
Horst Design Intl. Inc., Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y
Ceilings
Moss Inc., Belfast, Maine
Flooring
Stone Source Inc., New York
Lighting
Store Lighting Systems, Great Neck, N.Y.
Wallcoverings and Materials
DesignTex Group, New York