The future is rosy for Italian sushi chain Ichi Station

When the Italian takeaway-sushi chain Ichi Station expanded recently to encompass an 80-square-metre sit-down restaurant, founder Yango Zhang enlisted Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse of Masquespacio, a Valencia-based design practice with a penchant for saturated colour.

The duo approached the company’s Milan outpost with characteristic exuberance. They zeroed in on a rosy salmon palette and built out the interiors in a series of arcs and curves. Backlit glass panels running down from the vaulted ceiling suggest an aquarium – or perhaps a transport tunnel, as Ichi’s locations are designed to serve travellers.

The same glowing panels follow the contours of the bar and line a large, round shoji window. Microment walls were tinted to match and embedded with spacey recessed lighting.

Masquespacio borrowed from its furniture archive for the seating. Banquettes and stools are composed of bolsters and cushions in a blush wipe-down fabric. The toilet, by contrast, is an oasis of cobalt blue.

Via Solferino, 25, 20121 Milano MI, Italy