Pekin Kaku Chinese Restaurant by Tetsuya Matsumoto

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

TM : Chinese restaurants, in most cases, are extremely charged with ornaments and decorations, this work was a trial to simplify the Chinese aesthetic unto colors and materials. we used typical Shanghai bricks for interior wall cladding and then created a red ceiling aurora by using another typical Chinese material which is the string curtain.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

TM : We wanted to keep a clear image about the function as Chinese restaurant, but making it in a non-conventional way, more simplistic and non-ornamental. Offer a new understanding and interpretation of what could be Chinese Aesthetic.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

TM : We want to promote our work and step forward with our design practice.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

TM : It took 3 months for design, 6 week of construction.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

TM : This design was commissioned by the restaurant owner.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

TM : This interior design has been built and now in use.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

TM : We are specialized in commercial space design.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

TM : I worked together with my team in my design practice: KTX archiLAB.

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

TM : The clients of the restaurant.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

TM : This restaurant interior design reinterprets the Chinese style design into a simplistic one with no ornament or decorative exaggerations. The play on the materials and colors differs it on the kitsch design usually associated with Chinese restaurants.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

TM : It is the actual name of the restaurant.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

TM : Of course hand sketching, followed by plan drawing and designing on Vectorworks balancing between 3D and 2D design and verification.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

TM : The red ceiling aurora made by red string curtain.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

TM : Worked with my small team of architects and designers at KTX archiLAB.

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

TM : We used ordinary construction techniques.

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

TM : This project didn’t use any special data analysis; the only research we conduct is thinking about how can we simplify Chinese aesthetics into simple materials and colors.

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

TM : How to keep the budget as low as possible.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

TM : We have already won several international competitions including A’ Design. so it is in the spirit of continuity that we applied to this edition of A’ Design awards.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

TM : We have gained many technical skills during the design of this work together with how to make a good looking project with a limited budget.