World-renowned Australian Chef Tetsuya Wakuda brings his culinary vision to Waku Ghin, an 8,000 square foot restaurant located at the Marina Bay Sands Resort and Casino in Singapore. The program consists of a lounge, sake/caviar bar, four teppanyaki rooms, a main dining room, drawing room and support spaces. The interior of Waku Ghin strives to compliment Chef Wakudas passion for cuisine and the complex yet accessible flavors he presents his guests.
As overall planning for the Marina Bay Sands developed, the space selected for Ghin was reduced and squeezed between the established kitchen area and an adjacent restaurant, resulting in a narrow linkage in the middle of the space. Turning a problem into a solution, we manipulated the corridor walls against each other to take advantage of the spaces compressed nature. The resulting curving, sculptural forms transform what could have been a narrow and unwelcoming corridor into a Grand Hall that connects distinct programmatic elements. The layout of the restaurant now supports a unique dining experience where guests start the evening in the sak and caviar bar and lounge, are led to one of the dining rooms for dinner, and conclude the evening in the drawing room for dessert.
Sitting on the edge of the casino floor the translucent glass paneled faade hints at the warm lighting and cool forms of the interior. Upon entering the restaurant, diners encounter the sake bar/caviar lounge and are welcomed by the sinuous walls of the Grand Hall. Flowing fabric hangs from above to create a soft, illuminated ceiling that counterbalances the cool metallic plaster and Mother of Pearl used on the walls. The Grand Hall creates an elegant gallery that showcases the chefs personal art collection, and leads diners to the intimate teppanyaki rooms and the main dining room.
The four teppanyaki rooms are wrapped in rich Nyatoh wood and textured plaster. Here, chefs create culinary masterpieces in front of their guests. Small parties sit across from steel cooking plates which have been rubbed and ground down with the highest precision, a perfect canvas for the Chefs culinary creations.
The grand hall culminates at the main dining room. The curving wall opens to expose soft surfaces that draw guests to a warm, glowing environment. Illuminated fabric on the ceiling recalls the sak and caviar lounge, further tying the space together. A 3,000 bottle wine display, together with another sweeping wall, enfold the main dining space while framing the Singapore skyline. Behind the main dining room sits the drawing room, where guests conclude the evening sampling desserts and enjoying after-dinner libations from a rich wood segmented cabinet inspired by a sculpture cabinet from Tetsuyas Sydney restaurant.
Local sources were leveraged for the project, using FSC-certified woods, rapidly renewable resources, and recycled materials.
Chef Tetsuya Wakuda requested we create a balanced experience in tone and texture similar to the rich, multi dimensional aspects of his cuisine. We strove to accentuate the interplay between the design elements. Hard metallic surfaces reflect the restaurants name Silver and the chefs love for Japanese knife making. Our design theme is extended even into the custom furniture, carpet, and light fixtures. Our carpet design draws inspiration from the undulating forms of folded steel found in one of the chefs knives. The furniture reinforces the theme with upholstered chairs and tables featuring flowing wood and metal legs. The juxtaposition of hard metals and textured plasters with flowing, silky fabrics, warm woods and cool carpeting ultimately elevates and transforms Waku Ghin from a simple restaurant space to a work of art.