Restaurant Tori Tori Santa Fe / Esrawe Studio

Curated by Clara Ott

Architects: Esrawe Studio
Area: 720 m²
Year: 2020
Manufacturers: Acor

Text description provided by the architects. Tori Tori Santa Fe becomes the fifth project of the renowned Japanese restaurant chain in Mexico City, it is located on the ground floor of a corporate building in the Santa Fe neighbourhood.

Restaurant Tori Tori Santa Fe / Esrawe Studio - Image 2 of 22 — © Jaime Navarro

Restaurant Tori Tori Santa Fe / Esrawe Studio - Image 3 of 22 — © Genevieve Lutkin

Inspired by the subtlety and sobriety of Japanese craftsmanship, with a serene and monochromatic atmosphere, the project seeks to emphasize the scale of the space with two suspended elements made of oak wood. Its texture and monumental expression evoke the association of the construction of Samurai armour, especially an armour called dō. One of these elements frames a take-out food space called grab & go, and the largest one stands as a radial fireplace on the main teppanyaki table. Both are transformed into light objects that define and delimit the two poles of the restaurant with their scale.

The main wall that houses the sushi bar is inhabited by bas-reliefs based on the abstraction and stylisation of Kanji writing and graphics with pure geometries. The restaurant also covers a central area, with a terrace with tables for teppanyaki and a private area for diners.