Award winning restaurant design studio, Blenheim Design, mix historic building techniques of Hakata and contemporary materials to creates unique dining experience at Shoryu Oxford.
Brief was to create a modern ramen restaurant using traditional building materials 'of Oxford'. Oak, stone and bronze is a positive nod to historic Oxford, whilst Japanese elements come from illuminated rice, lanterns, bamboo and suspended sake box screens. Bespoke wall was formed from Japanese roof tiles set inside the lime plaster – this thousand old wall building technique is unique to Hakata region in Japan.
Challenge was to create simple and elegant restaurant housing 90 customers whilst fusing two strong yet different cultures of Japan and England.
Restaurant is designed around open kitchen with an elevated open theater cooking for drama, whilst raised bar is situated on the right hand side of the room, proudly displaying gold leaf sake barrels and large selection of Japanese cocktails and whiskey.
Design challenge came from very practical and unexciting drainage. We had only three points and we needed minimum seven. After a lot of head scratching and discussions about 'fall calculations and pipe turns' we raised some areas and lowered others, yet the whole restaurant feels like its on the same level.
