Omakase Restaurant | Ekphrastics
Omakase Restaurant by Tianwen Sun

Omakase Restaurant

Golden A' Design Award Winner 2020

Tianwen Sun's Omakase Restaurant presents a striking interior composition where the eye is immediately drawn to a luminous horizontal band of translucent shoji-inspired screens glowing with intense cadmium orange and golden amber warmth, positioned centrally against a commanding wall of deep magenta-crimson that dominates the upper two-thirds of the visual field. Behind these radiant screens, the silhouette of a seated figure in traditional garment becomes visible, their form rendered as a mysterious shadow-presence that activates the composition with human presence while maintaining ethereal anonymity. The foreground establishes a bold geometric rhythm through illuminated floor panels in soft rose-pink and orchid tones, arranged in a traditional tatami-proportioned grid that creates a mesmerizing pattern of rectangular modules separated by dark linear divisions. To the left, a dramatic vertical aperture reveals a secondary stairway bathed in warm tangerine light, creating a passage that suggests spatial continuation and narrative possibility. The chromatic scheme operates on a sophisticated complementary tension between the magenta-crimson spectrum and the orange-amber illumination, while the pink floor panels introduce a harmonizing intermediate hue that bridges these thermal extremes. Lighting functions as both practical illumination and primary expressive medium, with the backlit screens transforming functional partition into theatrical scrim and the floor panels generating an ambient upward glow that softens shadows and creates an atmosphere of otherworldly suspension. The spatial construction employs a one-point perspective centered on the seated figure, with strong horizontal bands creating distinct registers that organize the visual experience into ceiling darkness, crimson wall field, illuminated screen band, and radiant floor plane. Surface textures range from the presumed matte finish of the painted wall through the translucent diffusing quality of the screens to the smooth luminous panels below, each material contributing to an overall effect of refined minimalism and contemplative calm. Stylistically, this interior demonstrates a sophisticated fusion of traditional aesthetic sensibilities with contemporary lighting technology and color experimentation, suggesting influences from both historical spatial traditions and modern experiential design approaches that prioritize atmospheric immersion over conventional decoration.

Omakase is a kaiseki cuisine which can attract one's eyes at the moment when one entering the door. Started with the design concept of sakura and dew, the sakura petals and dewdrops are combined in the glass partition in a creative way, achieving a virtual-real synthesis and crystal-clear decorative effects. The adoption of decorative materials is based on environmental protection consideration.