Designing a 56 sqm bistro in Tokyo
One day in April, I received a phone call from a friend I had often spent time with back in Paris, from whom I had not heard in a while.
We spent a short while catching up—"How are you these days? Good?" "Yeah, I’m keeping pretty busy." Then, all of a sudden, he came out with, "Listen, I’m opening a bistro where I’ll be the chef, so I was wondering if you’d design it. You will, won’t you?"
I had been expecting an invitation to have a drink or something, and was momentarily at a loss. Before I had a chance to answer, he continued, "I’ve picked out a place in Monzen-nakacho, so come out and have a look." And with that, our (extremely one-sided) conversation was at an end.
A few days later.
"You could do well opening a bistro here," I thought, when I arrived to check out the location. From a designer’s point of view, I could see it working for the type of bistro my friend had in mind, with mainly counter seating, and I told him so.
"Then it’s settled. Let’s draw up a contract and get to making some plans."
My friend and I were both new to the restaurant business. We had a restricted budget and construction timetable, but that’s how our impulsive—or, rather, optimistic—project began.
As for the design, the idea was to take over an existing building that had operated as a small restaurant for close to 30 years, and renovate the facade. Just because the restaurant would serve French cuisine, we didn’t feel the interior and exterior decorating had to be French.
However, if we couldn’t change the facade, the new restaurant we were going to the trouble of opening wouldn’t be very eye-catching from the outside, and it would be difficult to get ourselves noticed by people in the neighborhood. We decided, therefore, that we needed to appeal to passersby by emphasizing the contrast between the facade and the interior which we would be renovating (in such a way that people would realize a new restaurant had been opened).
There was another issue, however. Due to budget constraints, it was unrealistic to aim to tinker with all aspects of the décor to achieve an entirely new design. We decided, therefore, to split the space in half lengthwise, leaving the side invisible to the outside as it was, and to renovate the part that could be seen from the outside, including the kitchen, counter, and the remaining space. That would give us an easy two-part organization to the space as well as a simple distribution of cost.
When we asked ourselves what was most important to French cuisine, we decided it was definitely the consideration and choice of compatible combinations of food, wine and cheese. Even simple items should complement each other to mutually enhance their individual flavors. This is often referred to in French as a marriage, and we wondered if we couldn’t incorporate the same kind of relationship and effect into the architecture.
Luckily (?) the cabinet doors above the counter needed to be replaced. We covered the new ones in acrylic mirrors (12 to each door), tilted at various angles, so that people outside the restaurant would see a mosaic of the customers, tables, food, and unchanged walls and ceiling inside the store, while the customers inside would see fragments of the outside.
The exterior can be seen from inside, and the interior from outside, in other words, as the area left unchanged is reflected in the renovated section, the space divided in two is simultaneously fragmented and recombined.
Charming dresses, beautifully served food, crimson wine, effervescent champagne—this space transcends its partitioned structure, breaking its elements apart and then melting them together, not possessing a solid form. One could see it as the confusion resulting from an incompatibility of subject and meaning layered over one another. Architecture must of necessity deal with the concrete materials, colors, dimensions and weights of physical objects. But I would like to create something abstract with them, something rich and mellow.
Inspirations.
Architecture
Designed by Ted Wells. Architecture. Corten steel and glass.
Carlo Scarpa
jardin des sculptures. C Scarpa
The loft bar
Concept project of loft bar.
Multifunctional tableware
Inspired by the culture, cuisine and hospitality of the ancient silk road, this ceramics series cons...
Cooking with myth
IOTAO is a series of IoT - enabled domestic cooking devices for the Chinese market which reinterpret...
Mechanical Suprematist
Experience interesting architectural compositions being created as you look around. This generator w...
Immersive sketch
Travel through an animated architectural sketch (move mouse to look around): http://mariogagliardi.c...
Charles Tassin
Interior designer Charles Tassin has developed a very personal approach to decoration. Merging the s...
penccil: This was 2017
The penccil year in review is a project selection for 2017, this year curated by Mario Gagliardi. Se...
serpentine 2017
exhibition, schauspiel köln, cologne. steelobjects, ceramic reliefs.
BS1
temporary accessible sculpture.
Functional Pasta
Pasta based on the geometry of a Möbius strip, a geometric surface with the distinction of having o...
BKM/Barozzi/Veiga
The extension of the Villa Planta, which will accommodate the Bündner Kunstmuseum, is an exercise o...
Fallingwater
Modernist Architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright
Green Architecture…. Is it blessing or curse!!
GREEN ARCHITECTURE….IT IS GOOD FOR THE NATURAL WORLD OR MAYBE IT WILL BE A MESS OF THE TREES AND P...
Library
A library in the center of Moscow, study project.
Lattice
Architectural structures. Mario Gagliardi 2006
Kenzo Tange
Kenzo Tange was born September 4, 1913 in Osaka, Japan. After graduating from the University of Toky...
The Menu
The food menu as we know it today is an invention of the 19th century. Traditionally, during a meal ...
American Food
Davide Luciano is a New York based conceptual food and beverage photographer and motion artist. His ...
Organic Public
Contemporary cities are in need of public spaces which work better for their citizens. This proposal...
Design for Disaster
"A disaster zone where everything is lost offers the perfect opportunity for us to take a fresh look...
Shared Space
To develop better urban strategies and futures for communities in desert climates, Mario Gagliardi w...
A Flat Named Desire
An inspirational collection of interior objects.
Food Architecture
Food dal cucchiaio al mondo: Works of artists and architects who deal with the global political, soc...
Sky Walk
The Dolní Morava tower Sky Walk by Zdenek Franek is a conceptual building, and it offers visitors ...
Akiko Masunaga
マスナガデザイン部/Art director/Designer/O型/乙女座
Pillars
Consisting of connected bricks whose relative position can be altered by changing underlying paramet...
Scum Pixel
'Scum' refers to a foamy layer or mass that forms on the surface of liquid when it is boiled or ferm...
Microscopes of utopia
This are some of landscapes spaces of nowhere with spaces inside
Brazil Modernism
20th century architecture in Brazil, including work by Lina Bo Bardi, Lúcio Costa, Affonso Reidy, O...
Carlo Scarpa: Sketch and Work
There is hardly another architect of the 20th century in whose work the progression from sketch to c...
Peter Zumthor: Thinking Architecture
A selection of remarkable work by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
The Bauhaus Revolution
The Bauhaus was the most influential design school of the 20th century.
See more in the new magazin...
In Infinity
Yayoi Kusama’s unique imagery spring from the recurring hallucinations that have haunted her since...
Struth: Nature & Politics
Thomas Struth´s work shows us highly complex equipment, structures and constructions. His pictures ...
In Orbit
"When I look at these complex layers of translucent lines and spheres, I am reminded of models of th...
Tom Ngo
"Common sense and conventional practice prohibits the evolution of architecture. Through reproducing...
Future Architecture
Future Architecture Platform is a European program which promotes talents in architecture. Future A...
Superstudio, Superproduction, Superconsumption
Superarchitecture is the architecture of superproduction, of superconsumption, of superinduction to ...
Heartbeat, Heartseat
Heartbeat consists of a massive heart glowing to the rhythm of a strong, deep and low frequency hear...
Swarm fabrication: Kokkugia / Roland Snooks
We have a fascination with the impact of new technologies on architecture and construction. We are f...
Spatial Clusters
"Refined nature consists of evolved technology such as robotics, artificial intelligence, cybernetic...
Une Cité Industrielle by Tony Garnier
Tony Garnier designed the plans of an ideal city during his stay at the Villa Médicis from 1899 to ...
HOKUSAI X MANGA
Courtesans, Heroes, Stars and Phantoms - In the early seventeenth century, Edo, which was the bigges...
The Glass House
"This house was Philip Johnson's autobiography—all of his interests were visible, and all of his a...
Julius Shulman: Visual Drama
"Julius had an eye for visual drama. With modernist buildings, he loved capturing the strong lines s...
Tea Time
TEA AVE es una marca Canadiense de Tés Oolong. Nos pidieron el desarrollo de la imagen gráfica, la...
Bird´s Nest
I am often struck by the nests that crows build using clothes hangers. Hangers are not only durable ...
Toshio Onda
Japanese Fashion photographer Toshio Onda studied at the University of West England. He lives in Par...
Eimi Kuroda 黒田 エイミ
Eimi Kuroda (黒田 エイミ), born May 12, 1988 is a Japanese fashion model from Saitama Prefectu...
BASILE ARTECO "Ferro/D" design Enzo Mari
DESIGN ENZO MARI: Forged iron and Murano Glass Vase, Limited Edition of 6, numbered and signed by th...
BASILE ARTECO "Ferro/A" design Enzo Mari
DESIGN ENZO MARI: Forged iron fruit-bowl Limited Edition of 4, numbered and signed by the Author Enz...
BASILE ARTECO "Monoblocco/L" design Donata Paruccini
DESIGN DONATA PARUCCINI: pen holder
Mimicry and Makeshift
Two future visions for urbanism and ownership:
Mimicry city - where everything wants to be owned. As...
Colliding Worlds
Architectural models of small planets appear in unexpected places. (C) Mario Gagliardi 2007
Jean-Jaques Lequeu
Jean-Jacques Lequeu (1757-1825) worked as a draughtsman at Rouen, and from 1779 in Paris at the Cad...
Amor Vacui
Domink von Moos, born 1990, studied architecture at ETH Zurich.
Archispecture
Architectural studies. Mario Gagliardi 2007-2010.
Carreaux
Turn of the century tile and mosaic samples from the Societe Generale de Carrelages in Paris.
Small Buildings
Photographer Eric Tabuchi, born 1959, lives and works in Paris.
Bring the outside in: The houses of Joseph Eichler
“Eichlers,” as they are referred to in California, are midcentury modern tract homes developed b...
Harrison and Abramovitz
Architects Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz, who worked independently in New York in a partnershi...
Manufactured Landscapes
We've created landscapes dense with human history, layered with the traces of our experience and cri...
Pierre Besson
Pierre Besson: Fictions begins…
Pierre Besson navigates between visual arts and architecture, and...
Weaving spaces
The project explores form in order to resolve a simple function: a roof
Mass, space, plane and line
"The essence of architecture is the interrelation and interaction of mass, space, plane and line. Th...
The Bride Stripped Bare
Fashion designer Ryohei Kawanishi studied at Central St Martins and at Parsons.
Serge Mouille
Serge Mouille (1922-1988) studied under Gilbert Lacroix at the École des Arts Appliqués in Paris. ...
Pascal Häusermann
Pascal Häusermann was born 19th of November 1936 in Biel, Switzerland. He studied at the School of...
also:
Mario Casa dining chairs
Dining chairs by Mario casa are 100% handcrafted in natural materials. https://mariocasa.it
Mario Casa Pillows
Mario Casa pillows are handstitched and embroidered on fine Raw Silk sourced from a family handloom ...
Mario Casa Carpets
Mario Casa carpets are handcrafted in 100% New Zealand Merino wool. https://mariocasa.it
Mario Casa Tables
Mario Casa coffee tables, side tables and dining tables are 100% handcrafted by our cabinetmakers in...
Mario Casa Lounge Chairs
Lounge chairs by Mario Casa, designed by Mario Gagliardi, are 100% hand-crafted in natural materials...
String Theory: Architecture of Connections
This speculative project starts with the idea that space is not defined by volume, but by connectio...
The painted house
These experimental structures have been created by combining design processes of architecture and gr...
Casa Sperimentale
One of the most visionary built experiments of 20th century architecture was created through the per...
Haribo Centennial
Haribo, the company behind the bear-shaped fruit-flavored jelly candy from Germany, is 100 years old...
Last and First Men
The first and last movie by iconic Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (1969 - 2018). With his mu...
el cairel II
turistic housing complex buit in reinforced concret
No.5 Warehouse Museum of Fossil
A space in the headquarter of a stone manufacturer in China. With its monochromatic walls, oddly sla...
Pulp architecture
The need to stand out in a hyper-commercialized market results in remarkable examples of contemporar...
Dovecote-Granary
Tiago Do Vale took on the admirable task of restoring two maize granaries as examples for disappeari...
Origami envelopes
Origami Envelopes have a special place in Japanese gift-giving culture. The four envelopes here rep...
Tatsuo Miyajima: Being Coming
Although this is for an exhibition of Japanese contemporary artist Tatsuo Miyajima at Shanghai Minsh...
Yokohama Museum of Art Calendar
Graphic designers Aizawa office from Yokohama designed this wall calendar. With its unassuming but a...
Core Agora
These shop pavillions in an area of a hotel complex in Greece, designed by Not a Number Architects, ...
Sonata
Sonata, a multi-housing project in Merida, Mexico, was designed by Mexican practice Arkham. Partly e...
K11 Musea
Westworld meets Surrealism in the interior design of K11 Musea, a new shopping mall in Hong Kong, a ...
Lotus Zen House
The Lotus Zen House hotel is located in Mount Jiuhua, an important Buddhist site in China. Hong Kong...
Laurel Hills Residence
A beautiful example of a contemporary Californian residence, designed by Assembledge architects. The...
House 33
House No 33 by Uemori Masaaki and Uemori Kokutou: A fantastic example on how contemporary architectu...
Architectural sculptures
Architectural sculptures by K. Kegelmann as part of "Future City" curated by Mario Gagliardi at the ...
Marqueterie
A contemporary marqueterie effect for a combined side table/console with hidden drawers. © Mario Ga...
Chromaglass
Chromaglass is a cocktail glass displaying its ingredients through colors. An inner insulating conta...
The gilded castle
Besides castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Peles is the most remarkable turn-of-the-century castle i...
The Heavy Palace
The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest was built in the nineteen-eighties after a design by Anca ...
Faces by 田中 一光 Ikko Tanaka
Inspired by the Bauhaus, by Jazz and by American graphic design, Ikko Tanaka (1930-2002) was one of ...
Reactive Space
Inspired by Plato´s allegory of the cave, this is an architectural study for spaces reacting to its...
Calatrava : Sculptures
Sculptures by architect Santiago Calatrava.
PIXelated Cube
experiment idea materialmatters architecture
CAMOUFLAGE ARCHITECTURE
My thesis gallery about camouflage and architecture
Street Life
Photographic impressions in the streets of Tokyo and Kyoto. (C) Mario Gagliardi
The Venice Pavillon
The Venice Pavillon interprets the history of Venice as a point of contact between West and East. Sh...
Collaborative City Planning
The result of the Zero Carbon project: a collaborative scale model of the prototype site, close to t...
Structures
Architectural studies, Mario Gagliardi 2002-2004.
Dreaming of Skyscrapers
Mario Gagliardi 2006.
Alessandro Mendini 1931-2019
For Alchimia, design is a cyle: everything that will have to happen has already happened, and the im...
Terror Architecture -18th Century Prisons
In the late 1770s, there was a particular interest in the development of not only scientific and rhe...
Kunio Makaewa
Kunio Maekawa was a master of Japanese modernist architecture. He learned under Le Corbusier and was...
Digital Biology
Interior studies for public indoor spaces merging digital and biological environments. Wall modules ...
The modern artist is working with space and time, and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating.
— Jackson Pollock
— Jackson Pollock
- penccil is free.
- No trackers. No cookies.
Just creativity.