FUJI is a Japanese restaurant in Ponta Delgada, on the Azorean island of São Miguel in Portugal. Its interior, designed by Sequeira Dias Arquitectos, sets warm American oak and hidden LED lighting against anthracite grey walls and ceilings. The architects combined Japanese and Portuguese references to make a simple, restrained room.
Oak against anthracite grey
Two materials carry the whole interior: American oak for the furniture and joinery, and anthracite grey for the walls and ceilings. Against the dark background, the wood and the hidden LED lighting create a warm glow.
The colour has a local meaning. The grey stands for the mist and fog that often cover the Azorean landscape, and the amount of wood refers to the rows of trees and dense forests that have grown on the islands since the 19th century.
A hollow wood grid ceiling
The dining room ceiling is an uneven orthogonal grid of wood with rectangular voids. LED strips hidden inside the grid light the room through these openings, animating the room with patterns of light and shadow.
Straw panels
Some cells of the ceiling grid are filled with straw. The same material appears in the wine rack and on the display in front of the sushi preparation counter, so the straw ties the ceiling to the furniture below.
Project credits
- Architecture and interiors: Sequeira Dias Arquitectos (lead architect Rodrigo Sequeira Dias)
- Construction: Porta-R
- Carpentry: Capintaria 25
- Engineering: Catarina Lima
- Photography: Ivo Tavares Studio
- Source: Contemporist