Jassim Alshehab Architects

Tatami Japanese Restaurant

TATAMI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Jassim AlShehab

Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab

ARCHITECTS
Jassim AlShehab

YEAR
2011

LOCATION
Kuwait City, Kuwait

CATEGORY
Interiors Architecture

Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab

Text description provided by architect.

Tatami Japanese Restaurant. The restaurant is located in the business district "downtown Kuwait". The design concept was derived from the integration of the "japanese tatami mats" method of planning and the industrial ambiance of the city.

Thus, The seating areas, wall cladding, lighting distribution, and circulation the ratio 2:1 was kept as a guiding design principle.

Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab
Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab

The restaurant layout intended to utilize the building main facade for the restaurant seating and eliminate any distracting elements in that area; therefore, the sushi bar was placed on the opposite side of the facade and the kitchen was located behind it.

The restaurant feature a mixture of materials and textures that were intended to be subtle and harmonic to emphasize and contrast the copper pipes designed to distribute the lighting.

Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab
Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab

And also highlight the side seating and sushi bar to fuse an industrial vibe in the space in addition to the preserved portions of the concrete ceiling and columns which were left untreated.

The exterior of the restaurant was designed to feature the color palette of the restaurant’s interior and distinguish visually separate the restaurant’s elevation and entrance from the building.

Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab
Tatami Japanese Restaurant
© Courtesy of jassim alshehab

Therefore a steel beam was extended between the building’s front columns at a 3m height with the lower portion of each column cladded with oxidized metal panels. In addition, planters were placed between the columns bordering an outdoor seating area from the street.


Tatami Japanese Restaurant
©  Courtesy of jassim alshehab
Tatami Japanese Restaurant
©  Courtesy of jassim alshehab
Tatami Japanese Restaurant
©  Courtesy of jassim alshehab

Tatami Japanese Restaurant
Plan

Jassim Alshehab Architects
Jassim Alshehab Architects
Qibla Tower, 17th Floor, Kuwait-qibla, behind AlSoor Street, Kuwait City, Kuwait