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BAR OTTO
By : ARCHITECTURE SYNTHÈSE
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 14th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Accommodation, Restaurant & Bar / Restaurant ≤ 1,600 sq.ft. (≤ 500 sq. m.) : Silver Certification
Otto Izakaya (a pub in japanese) is located in the residential area of Little Burgundy in Montreal. The conviviality created by the open kitchen and the use of local materials is reminiscent of izakayas in Japan.
The kitchen is designed for two functions:
1. Izakaya; liquor bar and charcoal grills.
2. Sushi bar; for preparation of raw fish.
Four service areas are available for guests – the large main dining area, the smaller recessed dining area, the intimate private dining room and the bar. These four zones pivot around the open kitchen, the backbone of this establishment.
Materiality was conceived as a dialogue between tradition and modernity with the use of three elements of Japanese culture.
– Timber planks have been beveled and painted on the edges resembling artisanal techniques. Japanese izakayas are typically constructed from local timber, so to echo this tradition, local timber studs were selected as the main material.
– Two different plaster finishes create textures that allow light and shadow to reflect dynamically on the walls. In the main dining room, the rough plaster refers to the traditional ‘mizugone’ finish common to neighbourhood restaurants in Japan. The raked plaster texture in the private dining area represents the raked gravel of zen gardens.
– The blue colour of the kitchen tiles, refers to the Japanese indigo, ‘awa-ai’. This specific blue has been produced for centuries in the Tokushima Prefecture and is symbolic of Japanese culture.
