Interview about Shiroyama Restaurant , winner of the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award 2025
The main theme of the project is interpenetration and interconnection. The design combines metaphors and cultural symbols of Kazakh and Japanese culture. The theme of the Ryoanji Rock Garden and Wabi Sabi is harmoniously intertwined with the sacred Baiterek tree and the stylized Bozzhira mountain range. The surrounding nature penetrates into the interior in the form of stones taken from the shore, sofas stylized as boulders and fills the space with light reflected from the metal ceiling, as well as a natural range of materials.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsDespite the fact that the task was described by the customer as a Japanese restaurant, I decided to look for something more subtle in meaning and concept. The restaurant is located on a hill, on the shores of the Caspian Sea and has panoramic windows. The first time I entered it, I felt how the environment, the sea, the wind, the stones and the sun permeated the room. I immediately decided to let this environment in through the windows, blurring the border and combining the interior and exterior. This seemed to me not enough and I decided to deepen the sensations of interpenetration and mixing by connecting metaphorical elements of Kazakh and Japanese culture to this dance. I deliberately avoided direct recognizable quotes and focused on philosophy, mythology and sensations. From Japanese culture I took contemplation and brevity, emphasizing with metaphorical inclusions, and from Kazakh culture I took a mythological meaning. And all this was united by the surrounding nature and the sea.
I was fascinated by the idea of connection with place and environment. Letting the sea and the sky in through the windows and catching it in the edges of the metal ceiling, I added stones from the shore to this and now you see them on the shore through the glass wall and feel their presence next to you. The native elm solved the oak cost problem and strengthened the connection to place. The color scheme also matches the surrounding nature, which is quite minimalistic and monochrome, as it is essentially a desert and rocky steppe. White rocks, scorched grass and sand, against the backdrop of the endless sea and sky - this is Kazakh zen for hundreds of kilometers around.
Being the central element and made in the minimalist style characteristic of Japanese culture, this tree, made of multi-layer sanded plywood, is also a sacred mythological symbol in Kazakh culture. Baiterek is a tree of life, whose roots go to the afterlife (past), the trunk is in the earthly world (present), and the crown goes to the heavenly world (future). Connecting the real world with the illusory, this tree holds the firmament. Reflected in the metal ceiling, it also reveals the path to a parallel world. The tree from ancient myths "growing" in the center of the restaurant pays tribute to the past, and allows traditions to exist and penetrate into the future.
The building is located on the seashore and sunsets are an integral part of the atmosphere. The setting sun fills the room with reflections and colors and, thanks to the restaurant's elevated position, is reflected in the metal ceiling. The ceiling has a faceted 3D structure, which increases the filling of the room with reflections and turns into a kind of light source. During the day, this ceiling also increases natural light and brings other shades into the predominantly monochrome interior, catching the sea and sky. At night, this structured surface of polished metal becomes an element that increases the number of light accents, reflecting light sources and enlivens the ceiling creating a more voluminous atmosphere.
I didn’t want to give up concrete panels on the walls, but they weren’t in the budget, just like imitation micro-concrete panels. I decided to make an imitation from a very inexpensive building material, which essentially contains cement (concrete). These are CBPB boards that are made from cement and wood shavings and sawdust. In the end, visitors are confident that this is real concrete. I liked the effect of naturalness, as panels made of this material, after lying for some time in the open air, acquire an individual structure.
The Rock Garden is about contemplation and Zen, as well as the interaction between man and nature in the aspect of creativity. The Bozzhira Mountains are a symbol of the region where the restaurant is located, as well as a sacred place. Both of these phenomena are subtly reflected in the interior, without coming to the fore, but harmoniously combined due to the general color scheme and materials. In this way I again intertwine two cultures
Еhe word Shiroyama consists of two hieroglyphs - white and mountain, and the gazvania of the city of Aktau also consists of two words Ak and Tau and mean the same thing. White Mountain. This area is the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean, so the main geological rock is white shell rock (you can even find the teeth of ancient sharks in the local steppe). I liked this relationship in the meaning of the names and this was the starting point for me deciding to also combine the two cultures. The general meaning of the name, Japanese cuisine, elements of Kazakh mythology woven into a minimalist style creating a certain atmosphere that can be defined as Japanese - all these are elements woven into the overall concept. And in the end, all these elements, unobtrusively collected into a single harmonious interior, serve as the background for another integration - the penetration of the surrounding nature into the interior.
I wanted to get away from the usual bar structure typical of the local conservative fashion. In addition to the difference in levels, I removed visible lights above the bar area so that the bar became more of a part of the overall space, rather than a dedicated object. The difference in levels allows diners to use regular chairs and feel like they are at a regular dining table rather than at a bar counter. This creates a greater mindset of using the bar for eating rather than just drinks, while also closing the gap in height of eye contact with bartenders. Another reason is that I wanted to integrate the bar more into the overall space without highlighting its area with high bar stools. Visitors feel not at a traditional counter, but simply at another option for a dining table, as the podium space itself contains 3 more types of tables. This is another dining table with the opportunity to have a conversation with the bartender or watch him work as part of the show.
The color scheme of the local nature itself is close to the already traditional style of minimalism, the roots of which lie in Japanese culture. Wood and concrete, in various forms, are the two main materials used in the interior. Accordingly, the range consists of the warm color of wood and a gradation of shades of gray, with accents of black.The main type of wood used in decoration and furniture is local elm, called Karagach. The stones, which are decorative art objects, were taken from the seashore and the local steppe, while being a metaphor for the Ryoanji garden. The designer floor lamps, made by a local blacksmith, are both a metaphor for local coastal reeds and Japanese bamboo. My goal was to create a Japanese restaurant without recognizable elements of Japaneseness, which would be in harmony with the local nature and be part of the place. And I was looking for different options that could tie everything together, smoothing the boundaries and avoiding a direct narrative. Form and materials are part of this concept.
In the evening, the interior is transformed. I didn't use a flood light, instead focusing on accent lighting. The general space is blurred in twilight, creating a comfortable pulsation of light spots that create zoning. For example, the lighting of the bar counter is designed so that only the tabletop is illuminated, while the faces remain in the shadows. The tree, as the central element, becomes even more objective, turning into a source of light, and also carries lamps on its branches that snatch tables from the twilight. Numerous lights prevent the interior from plunging into darkness, emphasizing its architecture, but do not blind the eyes and leave a comfortable twilight. Floor lamps grab sections of concrete columns and ceilings, creating volume. In the metal ceiling, all these light accents find their reflections and highlights. In the metal ceiling, all these light accents find their reflections and highlights. All this makes the interior more spacious and voluminous in feel, but at the same time more clearly divided into private zones than during the day, allowing groups of visitors to feel apart.
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