project

This was a referral from a partner bank.

It was a relocation and renovation plan for a local famous, old curry shop. We were selected from among several candidates, and as it was my most favorite curry shop, I was quite fired up during our presentation.

The plan was to relocate to a reinforced concrete and steel addition built after the Great Tottori Fire, but with no information on the building when it was built, the project started with a detailed survey. However, there were many areas of the building that were not fully understood through the non-destructive examination before the contract, so we had to make changes to the plan and design as we went along.

The first problem was that natural light only reached customer seating from the main road. This could be solved by installing many light fixtures in the ceiling, but I wanted to do something else, as I considered overhead lighting to be nothing but “noise”. I didn’t want to solve this problem with cloth-lined walls and chaotic overhead lighting for this old curry shop with a coffee shop atmosphere that had been loved by locals for a quarter of a century. What I thought of was a checkerboard pattern of basswood plywood.

Two layers of stain and five layers of a clear coat were applied to basswood plywood to create a piano-like finish. The grain of the basswood is clearly and eloquently revealed, creating a tasteful ceiling that offers an oriental space.

The flooring, lighting, speakers, and other equipment are precisely aligned with the 910-grid ceiling layout. The walls are finished with cloth painted with enamel paint. The counter for regulars located at the back is finished in the same color shades as the ceiling, with leather quilting underfoot.

The built-in furniture is also original, with handles and other fixtures luxuriously decorated in brass. This was a new type of veneer that I put forward, combining modern and classic. I hope many people will enjoy this new space and the shop owner’s prized curry, developed over many years, in this curry specialty shop representing Tottori.