Hana Farm Kitchen, Meguro｜Mitsuhiro Kojima Architects

We designed a restaurant located in the semi-basement level of a raw concrete building facing Yamate-dori in Tokyo.

The owner’s family and their associates are dedicated to cultivating vegetables with a strong focus on soil quality. Hana Farm Kitchen was conceived to highlight these ingredients and deliver their inherent deliciousness. Following our design of their original establishment in Honjo City, we were commissioned to design the Tokyo branch, named "Hana Farm Kitchen MEGURO."

The floor of this restaurant is situated below ground level, precisely where soil once existed. Into this space, we planted a fragment of a grid. This grid grew like the trunk of a tree, extending upward to the ceiling and spreading throughout the interior, tracing the environment of the building’s equipment and structural elements. Just as a forest creates several tranquil spaces through overlapping trees, the grid formed gathering places beneath it. The grid’s undulating form embraces visitors, and beneath its canopy, dappled light reminiscent of sunlight filtering through leaves emerges. By crafting a spatial quality characterized by gentle segmentation and nuanced light and shadow, the space fosters a soft sense of connection among guests, allowing them to enjoy their time freely and comfortably.

Just as the soil they cherish transforms into deliciousness on the palate, we envision that this fragment of grid embedded in the earth will transform into a spatial richness experienced physically.

Awards: JCD International Design Award 2014 BEST 100