2023 | Professional

MUSE Design Awards Silver Winner

Sushi Azabu

Entrant Company

Within Light Studio

Category

Lighting Design - Restaurants (Interior Lighting)

Client's Name

Country / Region

United States

Sushi Azabu is an immersive and intimate dining experience that transports guests to the heart of Tokyo. This top-rated New York City sushi restaurant offers 50 communal seats in the upper dining area and eight coveted omakase seats and seven 2-tops in the lower dining section, making for an unforgettable gastronomic journey.



As guests enter Sushi Azabu, they are greeted by a warm and cozy bar dining room that evokes modern Japanese minimalism with contrasting wall finishes in black and white plaster, blackened wood floors and simple white oak furniture. 2700K surface mounted adjustable downlights provide accent lighting for guests enjoying a cocktail at the bar dining tables, while discreet 2700K recessed adjustable downlights mounted into the millwork above the bar provide a glow to guests sitting at the counter. Integrated millwork LED lighting along the back bar millwork shelving adds a touch of drama and glamor to the collection of glassware and fine Japanese spirits.



Beyond the bar dining, guests walk through a moody arched corridor illuminated by a single recessed downlight that accents Sushi Azabu’s branded wall artwork. The mood shifts when guests enter the main dining room - an austere and symmetrical interior finished in white plaster and natural wood. Noguchi pendant lights hang delicately from the ceiling delivering a soft ambient glow. Linear 2700K LED cove lighting running along the length of the walls add interest and drama, emphasizing the rustic texture of the plaster wall finishes. A communal zen experience is delivered by forgoing the use of any architectural lighting fixtures in the ceiling.



Access to the downstairs omakase dining is via a narrow speakeasy-style staircase, minimally lit by narrow beam downlights and a backlit mirror anchoring the far wall. The unique challenge of lighting the omakase dining room, which has a low ceiling of 7-feet, was met by careful consideration of beam angles and using recessed downlights to deliver balanced, even lighting. The result is a space that transports guests to a different world, where every element is exquisitely crafted, from the food to the interiors.

Credits

Within Light Studio, Architectural Lighting Designer
Wesley Burdett
Noise, Interior Designer
Blair Sullivan
Bentley Architecture + Design Studio, Interior Designer
Ian Bentley
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