Yunomi

Project Completion: 2020

Project Size: 1,500 Square Feet

Narrative: Located in the Arts District an up-in-coming neighborhood (some would argue otherwise) in the Downtown Los Angeles area, the project consisted of converting a first generation tenant improvement of an Adaptive Re-Use commercial building into a Traditional Japanese and Western Style Temaki (Handroll) Sushi Bar with 24 Seats.

To reflect the Chef’s extensive study of Japanese traditional Washoku style hospitality and Omakase (chef’s choice style service), our design sets-out to create a space where the past meets the present. Thus, our design is inspired by the older structures of a Japanese Village but with a minimalistic approach, that create artistic interventions which places the project back in context with its Art’s District Neighborhood and Era. To create a traditional yet contemporary dining experience, we reference the past through the use of Materials that are full of character and tradition such as Kawara (Japanese Roofing Tiles), Hinoki (Japanese Cypress) Reclaimed Wood, and a Worn Plaster Wall Finish. We bring these old world elements to our epoch by using them unexpectedly in our Roof Tiled Walls, Curbed Bar, Metal Soffit, and a Pass-through Window.

Status: Built
Location: Los Angeles, CA, US
Firm Role: Architect, Interiors
Additional Credits: Photographer: Taiyo Watanabe

The overhead light, the soft edges of the bar, and the warm color palette make for a comfortable seating area, resulting in a warm and unostentatious environment that is full of Japanese elements and tradition.

The Temaki Bar, where food is prepared, encompasses the entire space becoming the center focus.

Inspired by the topography of a Rice Terraced Field, the Pass-through window was digitally fabricated to create a piece of functional art that pays homage to the neighborhood.

The use of the stacked Kawara tiles (Japanese Roofing Tiles) on the interior walls, create the sense of a Japanese Village.

The Soffit, made of dark bronze metal, is suspended using reclaimed Hinoki (a Japanese Cypress) with its contemporary gentle curb and continuous LED strip, the Soffit juxtaposes the traditional materials.