Transparency, reflections and 3D lighting effects
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Transparency, reflections and 3D lighting effects

Sushi Club

Maurizio Lai Architects

Transparency, reflections and 3D lighting effects
By Editorial Staff -

Rooms at Sushi Club in Castellanza are multiplied in a continuous exchange of light, glass and reflections. The space is a veritable labyrinth that appeals from the moment guests walk into the restaurant. That experience continues with the venue’s gastronomic talent. Sushi Club is an Asian cuisine brand that now operates in a number of locations in Lombardy. Redesigned by Maurizio Lai Architects, after a three-month renovation the restaurant reopened in February last year. The studio was founded in 1998 in Milan by architect, set designer and designer Maurizio Lai, an original interpreter of a contemporary aesthetic, in which light plays a fundamental role.

The Sushi Club in Castellanza’s total floor space of some 430 sq. m is divided into two main areas that create a a twin-level dining room and a spacious glazed outdoor area on what was formerly part of the courtyard. With large windows criss-crossed by horizontal and vertical strips of light, the building’s façade offers a sneak preview of the restaurant’s concept. Once inside, illuminated glass partitions and irregular ceiling volume designs create a dynamic space in which the various different areas enter into a visual dialogue with one another. Designed using modular structures and orthogonal touches, geometric elements play a key role in the project.

Using glass that has been worked in a variety of ways, from bronzed to ribbed and smoked-glass mirrors, the designer has deployed a series of custom-made fittings across stoneware floors made up of large marble-effect slabs. Chromatically, dark and neutral tones predominate: the shiny black surfaces reflect the light; an orange wall behind the counter adds a note of liveliness, reprised in the custom-made hanging lamps.

The enclosed outdoor space offers a more open and homogeneous experience compared with the dining room. Surrounded by greenery, it nestles in a lush garden, its color mirrored indoors by dark green velvet-finished upholstered seats.

Faced in lacquered and mirrored glass with luminous inserts, services are clustered on the basement level. In contrast to the black staircase, where lights are inserted between the glass walls and along the steps, the restrooms are dominated by the color white.

The Sushi Club is an “all you can eat” establishment, one that serves high-quality products and offers high levels of service as it makes Japanese cuisine available to a wider public. As the restaurant chain has expanded, opening after opening Maurizio Lai has given shape and expression to the Asian brand, defining its futuristic and unmistakable style.

For the Castellanza restaurant restyle, the architecture practice crafted a story in materials that offers patrons an unexpected sensory experience. The designer chose a high-impact stylistic approach, light years away from a minimalist or mannered esthetic, reinventing the traditional canons of Asian dining.

Location: Castellanza, Varese, Italy
Client: Andrea Lin
Completion: 2020
Gross Floor Area: 420 m2
Architect and Interior Designer: Maurizio Lai Architects
Main Contractor: Cogei

Photography by Andrea Martiradonna, courtesy of Maurizio Lai Architects

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