UK 2007Sakenohana
Sake no Hana (Sake Flower) is a Japanese restaurant on Saint Jame’s Street in the center of London. The low-rise wing of the Economist Building, the masterpiece of British modernist architecture designed by Peter Smithson, was transformed into a restaurant.
The Economist Building is known for its Gothic appearance with bar-shaped polished stones. We got a hint for the design from the façade that weaves long thin linear elements, and used thin pieces made from Japanese cypress and bamboo to create an interior that looks like a forest.
The field of view and light coming through the openings is controlled with rotary bamboo blinds.
