Looking - Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design

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hospitalitydoSl/j1l
www.hospitalitydesign.com
looking
sharp
Designing for a chef
and his knives
To creaio chef Tetsuya Wakudo.'s fir st r estaurant
outside of Australia, Waku Ghin at the Marina
Bay Sands in Singapore, architect Joshua Zinder
drew upon two key elements for inspiration: the
chef's layering of flavors and textures as well
as his extensive knife collection. "We wer e trying
to do what chef Wakuda does-give a richness to
the space without using a huge number of com plex
materials," explains Zinder, principal of Joshua
Zinder Architecture + Design based in P r inceton,
New Jersey.
Zinder layered various materia ls a nd textures
throughout the 8,OOO-square- foot r estaurant:
wa rm wood s like Nato, teak, and macassar
ebony are used for custom furni shings; silky,
Left: Distinct elements and materials like hard metallic suriaces,
flowing fabrics, and woods give a richness to Waku Ghin's bar area.
Above: A curvy exterior welcomes guests to the line dining restaurant.
www.hospitalilydesign.com
March 2011
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illuminated fabrics hang from the ceiling in the main dining room
and sake bar/caviar lounge; metallic plaster hugs the Grand Hall's
walls; and carpet, which runs through the Grand Hall and main
dining room, dons a repeat custom pattern resembling the laye rs of
folded metal, a nod to a knife's body. "His cuisine challenges you with
flavors and textures, and so we wanted to try to achieve that with the
design," Zinder explains. Like the design, the name is an extension of the
chef-Waku is taken from chef Wakuda's name and Ghin means silver, a
reference to the color of a knife's blade.
And since chef Wakuda is an avid collector of sculpture and
paintings, it made sense to showcase his collection in the restaurant,
which is done in various custom niches and credenzas. "There was this
notion that maybe the restaurant could be like a piece of art or at least a
component could be like a piece of art," Zinder says. h~
www.joshuazinder.com; www.marinabaysands.com
Clockwise from lop left: Asitting niche with
custom lurnishings; the main dining room serves up a
3,000-bottle wine display. carpet inspired by lolded steel.
and meals Ihat average $500 per person; the narrow
Grand Hall showcases sculptures and paintings lrom chel
Wakuda's own art colleclion; and one 01 lour leppanyaki
rooms that oifers a private dining experience where chels
cook in Iron I 01 guests. Opposile page, from lop:
Resin wall tiles wilh a hard linish and curved body wrap
Ihe bathroom; a knile used as inspiration lor the carpel
design; and another look at the wavy gallery-like Grand
Hall, which acts as a connection point between all 01 the
restaurant's spaces.
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hospitalityc\csign
WVNV
hospitalitydesign. com
Waku Ghin Restaurant
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
"His cuisine challenges you with
flavors and textures ... we wanted to
try to achieve tllat with the design."
www.hospitalitydesign.com
Owner Marina Bay Sands
Architect of Record AEDAS, Singapore
Architecture and Interior Design Firm
Joshua linder Architecture + Design
(JlA+D), Princeton, New Jersey
Interior Design Project Team Joshua
linder, Ludwig Vaca, Arturo Ponciano,
Jason Skeehan, Richard Morgan, Vanessa
Kitzie, and Allison larski
Kitchen Culinary Design and Fixture, Inc.
Lighting Design L'Observatoire
International
Renderings iO Media
Wallcoverings Jumbo Pacific Inc.
Glass and Mirrors H&K Glass
Metal AKI·Best Engineering
Paint ICI Paints
Custom Lighting Fabrication Unilight
Plastic Laminates and Panels Formica
Laminate and Panelite
Fixtures Hastings Tile & Bath, Inc.,
Mario Bongio s.r.i., Robert Pearson and
Company Limited, and TOTO Asia Oceania
PTE Limited
Stone and Tile Daltile Corporation,
Sadlerstone, LLC, Mirage Fabrics, and
Elite Stone
LOUNGE
Round Bend Table/Oval Bend Table/
Stand Table/Double U Chair Designed
and supplied by JlA+D
Ceiling Hanging Drape Fabrics Sai
Silk Inc., Gretchen Bellinger, and Architex
International
Light Box Panelite
DRAWING ROOM
Square Bend Table and Bow Lovese
Designed and supplied by JZA+D
Ceiling Hanging Drape Fabric Sai Silk
Inc. and Gretchen Bellinger
Motorized Roller Blind System
MechoShade
Roller Blind Drape Fabric Carnegie
Carpet Tai Ping Carpets
MAIN DINING ROOM
Slice Table/Main Dining Credenza/
Meddle Chair Designed and supplied by
JZA+D
Flat Top Decolines
Carpet Tai Ping Carpets
Light Box Panelite
Motorized Roller Blinds MechoShade
Roller Blind Drape Fabric Carnegie
Ceiling Hanging Drape Fabric Sai Silk
Inc. and Gretchen Bellinger
GRAND HALL
Host Stand and Grand Hall CredenzG.
Designed and supplied by JlA+D
CarpetTai Ping Carpets
BAR
Meddle Stool Designed and supplied b~
JZA+D
Flooring and Base Sadlerstone LLC
Quarry Textures Daltile Corporation
TEPPANYAKI ROOM
Meddle Teppanyaki Chair Designed anI
supplied by JlA+D
Roller Blind Drape Fabric Carnegie
March 2011