Indesignlive Asia take a look at two evocative dining spaces by design team Asylum
November 1st, 2012
It is often said that the appreciation of Japanese cuisine starts with the eyes. In Japanese dining, the artful arrangement of the dish, the beautiful tableware and the ambience are just as important as the food itself.
Asylum appears to rise to the challenge with not one but two visually (and creatively) arresting dining concepts for client Iki Concepts. Kaiseki Yoshiyuki offers traditional Kaiseki cuisine in an elegantly modern setting while Horse’s Mouth is a playful speakeasy-style Izakaya serving Japanese bar food and cocktails.
Both are housed within the same 418sqm space in the basement of Forum the Shopping Mall, Singapore. But that’s where the similarities end.
To get to Kaiseki Yoshiyuki, one has to make one’s way past a dark and enigmatic 5-metre walkway, whereupon an intimate 14-seater counter dining area comes into view. Here, walls clad in roof tiles – a nod to the temple roofs of Kyoto – pay homage to the Zen Buddhist origins of Kaiseki.
Ash paneled geometrical forms cast intriguing wall details in the warmly lit interior while touches of colour peek in from cutout windows of the origami flower display. All these carefully orchestrated elements then serve as a visual prelude to the intricately prepared degustation course that awaits.
To get to Horse’s Mouth, one has to enter via a separate ’secret entrance’ located at Uma Uma Ramen restaurant (another establishment under Iki Concepts) located one floor above – enhancing the exclusivity and underground personality of the Izakaya. Down a flight of stairs and into Horse’s Mouth proper, 3,000 origami flowers housed in glass displays create an explosion of colour amidst dark leather seats and wooden tables, while a wall lined with images of books on shelves create an illusion of a well-stocked library.
Asylum
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Explore the captivating realm of molo, the world-renowned design studio led by Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen. molo’s acclaimed soft collection celebrates a unique fusion of art, design, and architecture and – crucially – sustainability.
Australia’s leading producer of solid-engineered oak flooring has recently launched a new suite of innovative resources to support creativity and ambition in the architecture and design community.
Lizzy Stageman blends ancestral wisdom with artistry to reveal grand life stories in her contemporary Aboriginal designs. ‘Finding My Place’ transforms her original art into captivating commercial textiles, wall coverings & acoustic art.
For Living Edge, B-Corp certification was the next appropriate step in a long journey focused on building a truly sustainable and socially responsible business. In 2023 they achieved certification at their first pass, giving customers a new level of environmental assurance and the company an important milestone to celebrate across two decades of staff-led, sector-leading sustainability practices.
Leading the pack and doing it their way, The Prodigy category at this year’s INDE.Awards recognises the rising talent on our local and regional stage and applauds them every step of the way.
Launched last week in Canberra, a new competition is asking designers and artists to create a concept for a contemporary capital city.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Design that speaks many languages is to be treasured and enjoyed. Trent Jansen tells a story of design collaborations and connections through his work on Country with friends and artists who bring the perspective of First Nations people to the fore.
Caesarstone explores the boundaries of reality with an exceptional new addition to its Mineral Surface collection that blends airy lightness with sustainable performance.