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    • Design

    Kaikaya fuses Brazilian samba with the staunch discipline of Japan

    JUL 11, 2019 | By Dhawal Bumb
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Round seating corners on the upper floor provide a more intimate space; Photography by Luis Beltran
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The traditional Japanese wooden pattern on the bar counter; The original old elements of the space are fused with lush Brazilian and traditional Japanese elements; Photography by Luis Beltran
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The ground floor is adorned with raffia circles and colourful mosaic tiles; Staircase leading to the upper level; Photography by Luis Beltran

    Sake or Caipirinha, anyone? Award-winning Spanish design studio- Masquespacio fused the traditional and methodical Japan with the tropical and exotic, contemporary Brazil to bring Kaikaya, an exclusive restaurant design in the cultural hub of Spain, in Valencia. Inspired by their client’s lifestyle and her dream to open a tropical sushi restaurant in her native city, this 1350 sq ft eatery delights the visitors with its Nikkei Nipo-Brazilian delicacies.

    The designers maintained the existing elements like the vaults, metallic beams and original bricks of the venue in its actual state to highlight the beauty of its imperfections left by time. On entering the restaurant, you are welcomed by the raffia circles inspired by the hats used during the rice collection in the land of the rising sun merged with the vibrant coloured mosaic tiles and tropical plants—reminiscent of the samba land.

    On reaching the bar, you again encounter the traditional Japanese wooden pattern on the counter complemented by the coloured patterns influenced by the Brazilian Seventies. The decorative parrot lamps with a palm leaf in the interior were specifically designed for this project and take your imagination to the famous Brazilian Carnival. A staircase leads you to the upper floor where a combination of the original old elements of the space are fused with lush Brazilian and traditional Japanese elements wrapped around the round seating corners keeping with the theme of the restaurant.

    The mixed material palette of wood and raffia amalgamated with colourful patterns of mosaic tiles and overwhelming incorporation of plants lends an eclectic style to this restaurant and eases the mixing of the two concepts of Japan + Brazil without being conventional.