Cultural Reference in Modern Contemporary Environments
Brooklyn based designer Jun Aizaki’s Creme Design has designed a large number of restaurants in New York, Philadelphia and Japan. Creme’s lastest project is Chifa Restaurant in Philadelphia. The restaurant features a unique hybrid of Peruvian and Cantonese cusines found in Peru. The design reflects the merging of cultures with references to both. The rounded booth shown above is wrapped in a sepia photograph of Machu Picchu against a Chinese red wall. Privacy is provided by a metal bead curtain.
In the dining room above, the walls are lined with golden Chinese apothecary cabinetry. Their color and repetitive pattern read like bricks of gold. Repitition and cultural or historical reference have been combined in other projects by Creme Design, which we find very compelling.
In their design for Tinto, a large collection of corkscrews has been framed and graces the entrance to this wine-centric, Basque restaurant. The spice rack detail was designed for Komegashi a restaurant built on a concept of East/West harmony. The wine bar at Angelina provides a little jewel case for each bottle and displays it horizontally with the label fully visible and intregal to the design. Finally, at Disitrio, the Lucha Libre mask wall is not subtle, but neither is the restaurant. Disitrio is high-energy and features the spirited culture and cusine of Mexico City.
Creme Design effectively utilizes cultural reference, color and meticulous detail to develop thoughtful and inspired dining environments.
