Sushi and Design

By Yuri Tag

Sushi in Mexico City will never be the same with Iron Chef Morimoto’s restaurant

designed by the Schoos Group. The design of the Morimoto Mexico City is a

harmonious fusion of the city’s distinctive style with Japanese tradition. Located inside

the legendary 5-star hotel, Camino Real Polanco, the restaurant blends perfectly with the

hotel’s unique hotel-museum design.

Lighting choices instantly create an ambiance one will never forget. Custom designed

light fixtures are faceted like jewels with black exteriors and highly polished brass

interiors, instantly drawing the viewer to its sparkle, reminiscent of geodes or Japanese

ceramics lined with gold leaf Pubs. These fixtures “evoke the elegance and fragility of

Japanese porcelain” Morimoto Mexico City. Energy efficient LEDs are also used as

accent lighting to create overlapping scallops of light on the walls, matching the

geometric shapes of the light fixtures.

The use of multicolored marble and pale wood flooring distinguishes separate areas

within the restaurant. While the main floor is marble, with tile in the expo kitchen, the

rest of Morimoto’s floors, walls and furniture is made of warm French oak Pubs. The

organic swirls and veins of the marble add organic sophistication. Although beautiful,

marble is easily scratched, reacts to acidity, requires much maintenance, and may present

a slipping hazard. Marble was carefully selected to be in a small portion of the restaurant

to minimize these issues. A slip-resistant coating can also be applied to either type of

flooring for safety.

In the photo above, the upholstery of the chairs upstairs also adds a nice splash of color

and creates a vibrant atmosphere. The use of bright golden furnishings has also created a

warm, friendly and welcoming interior. These gold finishes on furniture resemble large

pieces of jewelry more than furniture.

Rather than using traditional paint or wall coverings, Thomas Schoos showcased his

paintings and framed it with his “rope art” installation Thomas Schoos. This pays

tribute to the city’s distinctive style and the hotel-museum theme of the hotel. The lathed

French oak pillars that support the top floor tie the rope art to the space as well as evoke

Mexico City. This helps balance the geometric lines characteristic of Japanese design.

The rope art is also the one constant that ties the entire space together.

Despite the fact that the designing team was faced with a location challenge, they created

an implementable solution by dividing the large, cavernous room using a 75-foot high

glass ceiling so that it becomes a highly functional area Chictip. This allows for plenty

of natural light to flood the space during the day and striking views of the night sky for

dinner. Glass walls contain the seating in the mezzanine, balcony and up the stairs. These

floor-to-ceiling automatic glass walls open and close, separating the dining room from

the expo kitchen.

 

The Schoos group did an amazing job of combining interior design elements and principles to create a space that is modern, inviting and functional.  It's no wonder it was awarded as a finalist for the Hospitality Design Awards in 2011.

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