In a thoughtful evolution of a long-standing collaboration, Mai Takahashi Lee, founder of GTL Architecture & Interiors, was tapped to reimagine Saru Handroll Bar, a San Francisco restaurant she originally designed more than a decade ago.
Tasked with supporting a more casual dining concept, the new space balances legacy and reinvention, drawing inspiration from the Japanese art of kintsugi, which finds beauty in restoration and imperfection.
Rooted in this philosophy, Takahashi Lee preserved core architectural elements that remain essential to the restaurant’s operation, while layering in refined new interventions.
A 22-seat handroll sushi bar made from locally fabricated oak now anchors the space, accompanied by custom bar stools.
The artfully restrained palette is tied together with washi paper-inspired pendant lights, venetian plaster walls, and discreet acoustic paneling that softens the ambient energy.
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