In the heart of London’s Shoreditch, Barcelona-based Astet Studio has completed Mitsu, a Japanese restaurant that seeks to translate the frantic energy of Tokyo’s nightlife into a structured, architectural experience. The design avoids the tropes of minimalist Japan, opting instead to reference the *izakaya*—the informal, often cramped taverns that serve as the social glue of Japanese urban life. The studio’s objective was to create a space that feels simultaneously lived-in and contemporary, envisioned as a tavern that has evolved over decades.
The transition from the street begins with a courtyard inspired by the *Tsuboniwa*, a traditional pocket garden, before moving through a corridor defined by glowing LED arches. On the exterior, concrete panels are textured to mimic *Yakisugi*, the ancient technique of charring wood for preservation. This material play continues inside, where contemporary shoji screens and a blackened steel structure frame the main bar, creating the illusion of a floating centerpiece amidst the room’s darker tones.
The most striking feature is the eight-meter-long hand-painted fabric suspended above the bar area. These drapes are a modern interpretation of *Noren*, the traditional dividers typically found at the entrances of Japanese shops. By scaling these fabrics to cover the ceiling, the designers have created what co-founder Oscar Engroba calls an "enveloping micro-space," using soft textiles to modulate the volume of the room and lend a sense of intimacy to the industrial-inflected interior.
With reporting from Dezeen.
Source · Dezeen
