A pleated origami lighting fixture snakes the length of this Shenzhen sushi restaurant casting a milky glow on its concrete and bleached wood interiors.

Shoku-tei Sushi restaurant is the first mainland outpost for the Japanese brand and was designed by Shenzhen-based architects Nature Times Art Design to blend Japanese design with Chinese elements. The firm adopted a natural material palette for the space, which sits within the ground floor of a commercial complex in the city’s Futian central business district.

Says the architects: ‘It’s like a naturally growing “organism” hidden in a quiet corner.’

Plants and stones are used at the entrance, setting the tone for the 200 sq m dining space, which plays with textures. Rammed earth clads the front area, while exposed concrete juxtaposes wooden furniture in the restaurant’s interiors, further zoned using sculptural, rough-edged stone slabs.

Windows are inset with timber frames and an opaque tint reminiscent of traditional Shoji screens. The restrained palette heightens the sense of texture across the Japanese restaurant, which, as its name suggests, specialises in Edomae sushi.

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