It’s only natural that the architects of one of our all-time favorite kitchens are responsible for a restaurant like Torafuku. Susan and David Scott of Scott & Scott Architects used a makeunder approach for the renovation of a historical building on the edge of Chinatown in Vancouver. The architects took the essence of an industrial building (concrete and open space) and made clever use of utilitarian materials like quilted utility blankets and cotton insulation. Here’s a closer look at the interiors.
Photography by Fahim Kassam courtesy of Scott & Scott Architects.
Above: Restauranteur Steve Kuan and Chef Clement Chan started their business as a food truck named Le Tigre before opening Torafuku, a “Modern Asian Eatery,” last summer. Coming from the world of food trucks, Kuan and Chan pride themselves on the accessibility of their cooking and worked with the architects to design a completely open kitchen and interior.
Above: The tables and benches were custom designed by Scott & Scott. The benches are made of canvas trucking tarpaulin for the seats and saddle leather for the seat backs. The metal table and bench legs are painted with red oxide shop primer paint.
Above: Custom sound absorption panels along the side wall are made with blue cotton insulation and quilted cargo pads.
Above: A scattering of cork Drifted Stools by Lars Beller Fjetland for Discipline. (The stools are no longer in production.)
Above: An extralong LED light by the architects is suspended above a cast concrete communal table.
Above: The LED light is made with steel flats finished in red oxide paint and molded saddle leather boxes that house the transformers.
Above: A partial view into the open concrete bar and kitchen.
Above: Lancaster Chairs by Michael Young for Emco in the alcove of the restaurant.
For more from Scott & Scott Architects, see our posts:
- Bestie Currywurst in Vancouver
- Paint It Blue: A New Wave Thai Restaurant in Vancouver
- A Midcentury Mountain House Artfully Updated, Whitewashed Wood Edition
- An Off-the-Grid Cabin in Vancouver, Candlelight Included
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