The interwoven fronds of wood that rest above diners at Ikibana are a beautiful representation of the fusion between Japanese and Brazilian cuisines that the Barcelona restaurant is serving up. Not a natural marriage on paper, one shy and reserved, the other a lot more gregarious, but as you can see, when it comes to the interior at least, it’s a good fit.
El Equipo Creativo was the firm tasked with making the union happen. Laminated strips of tropical mongoy wood was used for the ceiling installation, which were moulded into eight different shapes in metal casts designed digitally in 3D. At ground level, the tables take the form of petals, actually mdf wood hand-painted with layers of special paint using a traditional ceramic decoration technique. Some use the moulded wood shapes as seating, while others are cocooned by thick booths of wood that mirror the sushi bar, itself festooned with another traditional element; the Japanese art of ikebana, or flower arranging, was employed to produce the snaking white form above, and (almost) gave the restaurant its name.
Photography, Adrià Goula
