KURU is a Japanese fine dining restaurant with an elevated sushi train that brings an authentic Japanese experience to New York. This visual identity draws inspiration for natural compositions of Itō Jakuchū in a vivid contrast with the spatial language to create a contemporary Japanese dining experience.
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Reimagining the conventional sushi train as a fine-dining experience embracing the Japanese duality of technology and tradition.
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Reimagining the conventional sushi train as a fine-dining experience embracing the Japanese duality of technology and tradition.
PRIMARY BUSINESS GOALS
The sushi train is often associated with casual dining and affordability but Kuru needs to create a premium, almost theatrical experience that presents the sushi train as a spectacle of Japanese industrial design. To retain the authentic interaction with the matcha tap and online ordering interface but elevate the entire experience conventionally associated with economical speed to an immersive Japanese cultural experience.
TARGET MARKET CONSTRAINTS
As the restaurant is going to be based in New York, a large share of the target audience will be non-Asian and not everybody will want to experience the train on a regular basis. It is of utmost importance that the spatial design allocates a separate private dining area with à la carte service and traditional menu along with takeaway and packaging design for people who want to return on a regular basis for only the food.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Drawing inspiration for natural compositions of Itō Jakuchū, the space brings together tradition and craftsmanship with industrial design in a vivid and contrasting spectacle that speaks to how Japanese culture has always sprinted forward with technology while remaining completely connected and true to their cultural heritage. A contemporary Japanese dining experience that pays homage to this duality.
