SVINOR SHANGHAI

Nestled on the third floor of a commercial building in Shanghai, China, this sushi bar and restaurant embarked on a mission: “to unveil the rich spectrum of Japanese sake to the world beyond” all from a strategic overseas outpost. This endeavor not only celebrates the stark duality between China and Japan, between hare (unusual) and ke(usual), and the timeless interplay of Yin and Yang, seamlessly melding these distinct elements into a singular, harmonious experience.

The challenge of bringing authentic Japanese engineering and artistry into the restaurant gave inspiration of two dynamic focal points - the meticulously gilded 16-meter sushi counter and its counterpart, the tin-clad sake counter. These sleek, minimalist structures serve as versatile hubs for preparation, presentation, and communal dining alike.

In order to incorporate pieces of Japanese craftsmanship into the restaurants essence, we commissioned a renowned tin artist that specializes in yabure-suzu, a style known for its artful distressing of tin. The tin countertop was finished and packaged in Japan, then carefully exported to the restaurant in Shanghai and assembled on site. Simultaneously, a skilled Japanese artist came directly to the restaurant to embellish the golden counter, ensuring meticulous attention to both artistic integrity and functional utility through extensive collaboration between designers and craftsmen.

Beyond these central features, the restaurant envelops patrons in an ambiance rich with traditional Japanese design elements: tatami floors, misu (bamboo screens), and shoji (paper sliding doors). Alongside these, the walls gently breathe with silhouettes of trees and leaves fluttering in the wind through the shoji, reminiscent of dining beneath the serene moonlit expanse of the Chinese grasslands. Stepping into this restaurant, guests embark on a sensory journey, transcending geographical borders to savor a dining experience that is unlike any other.