The San Francisco office of hospitality design firm HBA has completed the design of Makoto Vail, the latest restaurant from chef Makoto Okuwa. The 110-seat restaurant is located within the Grand Hyatt Vail, a luxury ski-in/ski-out resort nestled along the banks of Gore Creek.
Makoto Vail embraces the style of Japanese interiors, combining wabi-sabi elements and natural forms in a palette inspired by Vail’s natural landscape. The all-wood aesthetic of the space is punctuated by dark metal that accentuates the restaurant’s modernity.
Upon entry, large shoji screens offer a filtered glimpse of the experience that lies within. White oak envelops the bar and lounge space, which features a suspended grid-like wooden structure and illuminated wood ceiling slatting that carries into the main dining room.
Sleek, dark metal on the bar wall emphasizes the restaurant’s centerpiece—a dynamic installation by artist Jacob Hashimoto that comprises paper and string as an abstract nod to the surrounding Gore Range in the Rocky Mountains.
Furnishings include warm, leather-like upholstery with both clean lines and curvilinear forms, along with timber tabletops with a subtle live edge. Nano doors reveal views of the surrounding landscape and provide access to an indoor-outdoor, temperature-controlled terrace.
At the restaurant’s rear is a private dining room for up to 10 guests. Here, sculptural lanterns suspended overhead cast a soft glow, while a shelving unit against a backlit shoji screen showcases a collection of pottery and ceramics.
“We sought to create a design that blends with the surrounding landscape and celebrates the perfectly imperfect shapes sculpted by nature,” says Joelle Henning, senior designer at HBA San Francisco. “Like the philosophy of Japanese cuisine, the overall expression of the interiors is simplistic, pure and refined, where minimalism is an art form, the essence of the material boldly shines, and the breathtaking Alpine views draw the eye.”
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