London-based firm Joyce Wang Studio has unveiled its designs for the new Hong Kong restaurant RHODA. The design reflects chef Nathan Green’s cooking style, which revolves around the charcoal grill, and includes walls wrapped in charcoal wood as well as rose motifs in the dining room.
Oversized industrial sliding doors open up the interior to the bustling city streets during the day, while in the evening light penetrates through the angled slats in the sliding doors for a more intimate tone.
The Japanese practice of Shou Sugi Ban, a traditional stained oak wood cladding used in Japanese architecture, is featured on walls and columns further integrating the charcoal and wood motifs into the restaurant. Warm copper details balance the aesthetic as a nod to Green’s enthusiasm for vintage car restoration.
“We’ve used an intriguing juxtaposition of materials to create a unique palette for the space,” says Joyce Wang, founder of the eponymous firm. “Each material has a different feeling associated with it. When you place one material next to another, something magical begins to happen—a narrative begins to emerge.”
The chandelier hangs, which hangs from the ceiling using copper cables, is made from reclaimed washing machine drums that are bound together. The drums have been smoked under a flame and soaked in vinegar for an industrial finish. A communal dining table finished in charred cedar is situated just below the fixture with melted copper infused into the wood’s cracks. Other dining room tables are burned with a Tudor rose symbol, which can form a larger, more elaborate pattern when pushed together.
The six-person private dining room—or Nate’s Room—has been customized to reflect Green’s personal style. A hairy wall finishing made by hand from concrete pressed through chicken wire is installed to honor the chef’s passion for beards and create a barbershop aesthetic. The barbershop reference continues with a network of copper tubing that holds shaving brushes, while a suspended light box features a collection of Green’s favorite vintage tattoo flash art.
