Photography: Nikolas Koenig
It might be located in the heart of Manhattan, but this theatrical new sushi restaurant is deeply imbued with the design language of Japan.
Rockwell Group created the interiors for Katsuya, which spans 7,000 sq ft inside the Five Manhattan West tower. The New York design studio opted for a dramatic approach to the restaurant’s interiors, filling its three dining areas (which can seat up to 305 guests) with colour, pattern and materials that wholeheartedly embrace Japanese tradition.
The deep red walls and glossy interiors of cut-out walls reference urushi lacquering, which is often applied to bowls and trays. Ombre glass panels have been installed in place of sliding paper screens, while the metal framework they’re hung from nods to the complex joins used in Japanese woodwork. Even the overhead lighting is wrapped in metal strips designed to remind diners of the brushstrokes of calligraphy.
Patterns resembling the pleats of parasols, and imagery of dancers holding fans emphasise the restaurant’s Japanese roots, and h has borrowed directly from historic wagara patterns, often used in kimonos, to further add to the maximalist feeling of the space.
Katsuya’s menu offers sushi and sashimi, as well as wagyu and tenderloin sizzling from the robata.
398 10th Ave, New York, NY 10001, United States
