CASE-REAL recently completed NÔL, a restaurant atelier with a distinct concept. Functioning as an experimental kitchen, nôl can also be considered as a flexible space freed from the physical restraints of a classical restaurant.
NÔL offers a place where talented chefs can use it for catering preparation or irregular dinner events. Thus compared to the spacious kitchen, this restaurant has only eight table seats. Though it is compact, the goal was to create an atmosphere that suits the extraordinary dishes that will be prepared.
The name 'NÔL' comes from the French term 'non-usuel (non-usual)' and 'noir (black),' and the space was designed with black as its key-color. The idea was to create a restaurant with a private feeling, which is not fully open to the public, considering the stance and characteristics of the space.
The dining area was finished with a matte, dark-toned lysine from floor to ceiling. To create depth, the space was painted in a gradation from grey to dark grey. Pendant lights above the tables were newly designed to fit the space, and the shades of the lightings were finished with the same lysine material to maintain a common tone and to exaggerate the contrast between the light and the ceiling. The kitchen was mainly finished with stainless-steel, to create a brighter image and a space which functions as a stage in contrast to the black dining area.
Photography: Daisuke Shima