VERT by Takasu Gaku Design and Associates (Japan)
VERT - A Japanese tea and dessert course restaurant in Kagurazaka
Just two years after its grand opening in 2022, VERT changed location and reopened in November of last year as the next step in its growth.
The concept of the tasting menu created by Owner-pâtissier Tanaka is Chasoryusui, which is a phrase coined by Tanaka to mean the enjoyment of tea with the freedom of flowing water in a place where people and culture come together. Anchored by this sentiment, the design emerged from thoughts of tea, food, Japanese culture, and the beauty of the four seasons.
The restaurant's interior consists of three rooms: Roji (Alleyway), Kyakushitsu (Guest Room), and Chashitsu (Tea Room).
Roji envisions the streets of Kagurazaka, Tokyo by utilizing the high-ceilinged entrance of the restaurant's framework. This framework is deliberately left untouched with the space featuring a waterproof-coated concrete floor and exposed LGS wall framing. Only natural lighting is in this section.
Beyond the narrow Roji, guests must lower themselves to pass through the nijiriguchi entrance and enter the Kyakushitsu, a pitch-black space with lighting dimmed as much as possible. Its counter is perfectly circular to symbolize the enso circle of Zen, and a water basin is in the middle, adorned with seasonal flowers to reflect Tanaka's diverse talents. A long and thin copper pipe descends from the ceiling of the Kyakushitsu, shining mutedly in the lighting. Droplets run down the pipe and drip into the basin, causing the water's surface to glisten. Light and shadow as well as water and sound. In this enclosed space, the quietness of nature can be felt and guests can use all five senses to their fullest while savoring each and every one of the exquisite desserts served on gorgeous dishes selected by Tanaka's discerning eye.
After finishing the tasting menu, guests move from the Kyakushitsu to the Chashitsu, where they are enveloped in artisanally plastered walls with an earthen-wall aesthetic. Having spent an immersive time in the pitch black, guests arrive in a serene setting of plaster-finished walls and handmade washi paper. Slits in the charcoal-black bamboo ceiling cast stripes of light and shadow to create a tranquil atmosphere for guests to slowly sip their final bowl of tea before bringing their Chasoryusui journey to a close.
The aim is to create a restaurant where guests can enjoy an experience not found anywhere else from start to finish by attempting a whole new culinary genre of a Japanese tea and dessert tasting menu and by seamlessly fusing taste with presentation through spatial design.
Floor Plan:
