Nordic and Japanese aesthetics combine in Reykjavík burger joint

A kitchen wrapped in yuzu-coloured glass sits at the centre of HAF Studio's interior for Japanese burger restaurant Yuzu, in Reykjavík.

Situated on the city's recently rejuvenated Hverfisgata street, the 220-square-metere restaurant incorporates Japanese yuzu fruit into all of its dishes, from burgers to cocktails and sauces.

With this hybrid menu in mind, local designers HAF Studio set out to create an interior that blends Nordic and Japanese aesthetics.

The studio is the latest in a string of practices that have attempted to blend design from these two parts of the world in a restaurant interior. At recently-opened Copenhagen restaurant Izumi, Pan-Projects and Mok Architects incorporated oak surfaces, translucent screens and paper lanterns to reflect the Nordic-Japanese menu.

At Yuzu, HAF Studio has teamed raw industrial materials such as concrete bricks, chromed steel and yellow glass with warmer natural materials associated with Nordic design, such as Douglas fir flooring and brown leather benches.

"We studied Japanese aesthetics in the attention to detail and use of minimal shapes," HAF studio design director Hafsteinn Júlíusson told Dezeen. "The solid wood furniture is uncoloured and concrete walls are left untreated in its original state. This enhances the Japanese feel in our opinion where everything in the space is there for a reason."

The 80-seat restaurant revolves around a central open kitchen wrapped in yellow glass that references the colour of the yuzu fruit.

From here, guests can watch the chefs, led by renowned Icelandic chef Haukur Mar Hauksson, create dishes such as the Yuzu burger that comes with steam baked bun.

The restaurant's seating is varied with areas of bench seating, clusters of separate tables and chairs, bar stools and more intimate booths. There is also a lounge area with sofas by Swedish brand HEM and chairs by French brand Moustache.

The metal chair used throughout the interior is designed by HAF Studio specifically for the restaurant. Called New School, the locally-produced chair references a specific primary school chair that was used by a generation of Icelandic school children.

A series of curtains made from blue wool by Danish brand Kvadrat enable the space to be divided into smaller separated units.

In keeping with the industrial materials used, the designers installed neon lighting alongside industrial tube lights made by French company Sammode lighting across the restaurant's ceiling and walls.

"The overall goal for HAF Studio was to create a relaxed and effortless place that mixes nordic and Japanese aesthetics," explained the designers. "Though the structure of the space is rough and industrial the overall feel is warm and inviting."

HAF Studio is a Reykjavík-based interiors and architecture practice led by Hafsteinn Juliusson and Karitas Sveinsdóttir. The studio previously designed a 1960s-styled restaurant in the city.

Photography is by Gunnar Sverrisson.

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