Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design LLC (JZA+D) has been honored with a 2010 Design Merit Award from the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for its work on Waku Ghin Restaurant, part of the new Marina Bay Sands Resort & Casino in Singapore.
In designing Waku Ghin, JZA+D blended tones and textures to create a synergy between the restaurant ambiance and the culinary vision of its famed chef, Tetsuya Wakuda, emphasizing simple materials and ingredients used in unexpected and dynamic ways. Hard metals and textured plasters on the restaurant’s walls contrast with soft fabrics illuminated from above. Warm woods juxtapose against the cool design of the carpeting, rippling across the floor as undulating forms of folded steel inspired by a knife in the chef’s collection. The furniture, also designed by JZA+D, reinforces the theme with upholstered chairs and tables featuring flowing wood and metal legs. JZA+D used local sources for the project, securing FSC-certified woods, rapidly renewable resources, and recycled materials.
The firm also transformed a tight space between the restaurant’s kitchen and an adjacent restaurant into a Grand Hall, creating an elegant and dynamic gallery that joins the various rooms while creating a showcase for the chef’s visual and culinary talents. Guests pass from the sake bar and caviar lounge through the sinuous corridor walls, which open up to the teppanyaki rooms and main dining room. A 3,000-bottle wine room enfolds the main dining space along with another sweeping wall, framing the Singapore skyline.
