After two months of renovations, iconic harbour front restaurant Ocean Room is re-opening with a spectacular new interior and cutting edge menu. Transformed by award-winning designer Yasumichi Morita’s contemporary refurbishment, the new venue is a reflection of the Ocean Room philosophy: Japanese traditions meeting the modern world.
In a world-first collaboration, Japanese high-end restaurant group Zetton has partnered with award-winning designer Yasumichi Morita. It is their first venture on Australian soil – and little expense has been spared in the design process. Morita, whose innovative designs have included installing a merry-go-round in a shoe shop and even covering a whole bar in crocodile skin, has a unique design philosophy. “The very basis of my thinking is that I want things which do not exist,” Morita says. “And so I create them.”
Hand-crafted and meticulously created, the new Ocean Room design is all about detail - from the soaring curved ceiling feature to the series of port-hole light features inset in the walls. Drawing upon ancient wooden elements and a grand chandalier motif, Ocean Room evokes a sense of old-world grandeur while also providing a glamorous, intimate dining space for discerning diners.
The restaurant’s signature chandelier installation comprises of over 3000 miniature wooden cylinders, fitted together like a giant hanging puzzle. Ocean Room’s floor to ceiling glass windows capitalize on the restaurant’s stunning location, giving diners spectacular views of Sydney’s iconic harbour. The plush, upstairs private dining room provides a more intimate setting to enjoy head chef Raita Noda’s revamped menu.
Award-winning Yasumichi Morita has designed a luxury watch range and mounted a giant Buddha in Hong Kong’s busiest hotel. Working on a range of international projects from his ‘chandelier palace’ in Japan’s creative hub Ashiya, Morita is supported by
A successful career as a designer is something Morita dreamed of since childhood. Despite never attending a design school, Morita successfully designed hotspot ‘COOL’, Sannomiya’s destination bar, at the age of 18 by applying practical skills gained on-site during his school days. Success followed success, with the Daidaiya HK Interior Design Award leading to a variety of local and international projects including the luxurious Chappelle des Anges in Nagoya, the marble-clad Charles Oudin flagship store in Paris, all the Joel Robuchon restaurants in Japan and most recently the cutting edge W Hotel in Hong Kong,
Known for his signature chandelier motif, Morita’s design philosophy is simple. “Beautiful things are the root of my imagination,” Morita says. “The very basis of my thinking is that I want things which do not exist – and so I create them.”
For inspiration, Morita turns to the hustle and bustle of the every day. “People talking about their love affairs in seats near me, a shop assistant being told off by her manager – my imagination for designs flows out in these places,” Morita says.
Having won the International Interior Design Association’s Design Award, the Vadi Design Award, and five JCD Design awards and the prestigious Morata Mitsui award all in the past ten years, Morita has firmly established his position as one of the world’s leading modern designers.
Morita has designed more than 300 world-class restaurants and bars throughout Asia. Ocean Room marks his first venture on Australian soil.