Yamaki Zushi: A Harmonious Blend of Tradition and Innovation

Yu-Fan Kao and Wei-Hua Lin Craft a Unique Dining Experience

The exterior of the restaurant is a nod to traditional Japanese architecture, with hardware shaped like weatherboards, a feature commonly seen in Japanese wooden houses. The facade, with its vintage-like appearance, creates a sense of roughness, further enhanced by the use of old materials, such as wooden bricks and red brickwork. This deliberate choice of materials not only pays homage to the former restaurant that occupied the space but also adds a distinctly Japanese touch to the design.

The interior of the restaurant is a testament to the designers' commitment to creating a space that reflects the harmony between man and nature. The use of Karesenzui-like cement walls, shale-like materials, and a fish pond, combined with the view of tree sceneries and an atrium, evoke a sense of rustic charm. The use of wooden materials further enhances the spatial extension, creating a rich and varied environment.

The restaurant is divided into two main dining areas. The open-end counter area features twelve seats surrounding the cooking station, creating an intimate dining experience. The square-shaped arrangement of the seats, coupled with the wooden diagonal planes on the ceiling and the wooden tile screens, create a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. The private box area, on the other hand, offers a more secluded dining experience, with the use of steady, low-key wooden materials and hardware screens.

The designers faced the challenge of creating a smooth traffic flow for both employees and customers while meeting the client's requirements. They achieved this by carefully considering the overall structure, materials, and construction method. The use of different materials in the same tone, such as cypress, unpainted wood, and teak with Baizou, a material recycled from volcano ashes, effectively decomposes residual smells of cooking, enhancing the overall dining experience.

Yamaki Zushi is a testament to the designers' commitment to creating a unique dining experience that blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with innovative design elements. The design, which was completed in May 2021 in Taiwan, has been recognized with a Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2022, a testament to its outstanding design quality and innovation.