Developed while employed full-time as lead designer @ Eight Inc.
Sketch of restaurant entrance
Completed restaurant entrance
Kinoya unfolds as a sequence of distinct dining experiences, featuring intimate rooms that house the ramen counter, bar, as well as two private tatami rooms. Each space offers a unique setting rooted in Japanese culture and craftsmanship, where the design is expressed through restrained materiality and meticulously detailed joinery, with custom furniture crafted locally to preserve the authentic proportions and spirit of traditional forms.
With a host of Japanese restaurants in Dubai, Kinoya redefines the status quo with a design that it not louder, but closer instead. The space pays homage to the casual and cosy street bars tucked away in the winding streets of Tokyo. The height of the ceiling is brought down to a more intimate scale using wooden paneling, with lighting in the space being largely ambient and indirect. The result is a truly authentic Japanese Izakaya experience recreated in the heart of Dubai.
