Project Team

design: Luchetti Krelle

Suppliers

furniture: Kezu
lighting: Kezu, JSB Lighting, Inlite
tiles: Academy Tiles
fabric: Pelle Leathers, Kvadrat Maharam, South Pacific Fabrics, Elliot Clarke Bodhi, Warwick

Sake Melbourne is an extension of the Sake brand to Victorian capital city at the newly refurbished Hamer Hall within the Arts Centre at Southbank.

The design of Sake Restaurant & Bar celebrates the contrast between refined, Japanese inspired contemporary design and rustic artefacts. A brief was formulated to create a uniquely Japanese dining experience that demonstrated reverence for the traditional methods of Japanese cuisine and craftsmanship while being inviting to a modern, and increasingly savvy dining crowd.

A diverse range of dining experiences have been catered for; first stop is the sushi bar where one can dine solo and survey the unique techniques employed by the traditionally trained chefs, if with friends then communal dining is presented in the form of comfortable booth seating and banquet style dining table s for bigger parties. Any of the three unique private dining rooms can be reserved also.

Classic Japanese motifs and joinery construction methods are referenced, deconstructed and appropriated to create the various dining and drinking spaces within Sake Restaurant and Bar.

Suspended sake barrels sets the tone of reverence for Japanese cuisine which is further enhanced by the temperature controlled sake room and antique sake kegs. Bronze stainless steel backlit louvers of the bar fronts are softened by smoked European Oak timber and South American granite used on the bar tops.

Sake’s head chef, equipped with authentic Japanese training, has created an experience that complements this fusion design with a clever menu of classic sushi with a modern twist. These dishes are perfectly balanced with a premium range of sakes from a 300-year-old boutique brewery in Japan.

Turning to Japanese design for inspiration, the design team employed ideas and techniques seen in Japanese craftsmanship to create the many innovative custom elements within the site. Custom joinery including stools, tables and screens adopt this same Japanese dedication to precision. Other traditional Japanese elements are employed such as the use of Obi – the belts from kimonos stitched to form an installation of a wall hanging as though it is dancing in the breeze.

The intent was to be sensitive to the existing building and even enhance its design and architectural features while also immersing the public in a Japanese dining experience. The design process was about reinterpreting familiar Japanese themes and imagery and presenting them in a fresh and innovative fashion while still being sensitive to the overall site.