MIOKURU

The space celebrates contradiction and eclecticism. It's a dialogue between modernist discipline and postmodern freedom, where structure becomes ornament and function becomes narrative. From the outset, Melican wanted to move away from the expected aesthetic of a Japanese restaurant: light oak timber, wooden counters and stools, and pale plaster walls. Instead, he wanted to reference familiar forms, rhythms, and materials, but reinterpret them in a more unexpected and contemporary way.

The gridded ceiling — a rhythmic lattice of timber and light — anchors the space with architectural clarity while evoking the rationalist ideals of modernism. Yet its exaggerated repetition and sculptural presence give a hint to traditional Japanese paper screens and walls.

This sense of rhythm continues through the dining countertop and frontage, where a sequence of red squares and rectangles creates a graphic pattern across the surface. These forms are not merely decorative; they are composed as dots and dashes, spelling out the restaurant's name in Morse code. The countertop itself is formed in stainless steel, pressed with a leather-like grain that gives the material a subtle texture and sense of movement, a quality echoed in the rhythmic surface of the pale blue wall tiles.

The terrazzo flooring, divided by dark linear joints, extends this geometric language across the floor plane, creating visual continuity between the horizontal and vertical surfaces.

The glass block wall, which acts as the partition to the toilets, introduces a nostalgic nod to late-20th-century material experimentation. Translucent, tactile, and unapologetically decorative, it also serves a practical purpose by allowing light to travel through to the far end of the space.

Moving through the space to the back of the restaurant, guests find a hidden bar. The bar is designed to take an overflow of diners if necessary, and also as a private hire space and drinking bar. The bar itself is entirely clad in hammered stainless steel, a material treatment that continues onto the far back wall. Behind the bar, glossy burnt-red metal walls introduce a rich colour that appears throughout both spaces. Opposite, a wall of sliding timber panels

can be moved into different positions, revealing shelves of postmodernist ceramics. The whole space is then softened by a light blue sheer curtain, which can be drawn open or closed. The intention behind the timber panels and curtain is to make the space feel interactive and continually changing. Each visit can reveal a slightly different arrangement, encouraging customers to engage with the design rather than simply occupy it.

The ceiling is formed from a lay-in stainless-steel grid, with acrylic prisms used to diffuse the cold white light in the rear bar area. The effect is intentionally atmospheric, almost like standing inside an elevator. Above the bar hang three Bauhaus pendants, shipped from Berlin ZEITLOS – BERLIN, who are licensed to reproduce the lights on the original machinery.

The stools throughout the space were designed by Block1 Design exclusively for Miokuru. Nothing could be found on the market that worked with such a unique interior, so Melican created them himself. They are a reinterpretation of the lineage of modernist furniture — drawing inspiration from figures such as Alvar Aalto, Jean Prouvé, and Charlotte Perriand. Their clean geometry and honest materiality pay homage to functionalist ideals, while their bold chromatic finish and placement within the space assert a postmodern irony. Each stool becomes a punctuation mark in the spatial rhythm — a modular object that bridges the utilitarian and the sculptural.

Together, the two spaces are designed to showcase the food while immersing customers in a distinctive and engaging environment. This is not intended to feel like any Japanese restaurant people have seen before. From the beginning, the objective was to push the design, heighten customer engagement, and challenge expectations of what a contemporary Japanese dining space can be.

This design resists nostalgia while embracing history. It's a postmodern reinterpretation, filtered through the lens of contemporary urban culture. The restaurant's identity lies in its architectural wit — a space that is both disciplined and playful, rational and expressive, timeless yet unmistakably of Soho.

All design and FFE by Block 1 Design

Delivered by the great team at @bluecrowteam