d+a | Issue 122 • 2021

/ DINE / 86 matter,” Suzuki explains. “This is the warmth of fermentation, but it’s a warmth that is vital and living and that changes second by second. “I wanted to design the cafe to reflect this organic and natural process.” Suzuki teamed up with a production company, Zeek, and lighting designer Mizuki Matsuura, to construct an acrylic light feature in the centre of the café. This fixture, he says, evokes the feeling of warmth and heat; depending on the angle from which you are viewing it, whether you’re inside or outside, and how much natural light is in the café at the time, you may notice it to be pink or red. The pink plaster floor enhances the visual experience. “It’s a chromatic adaptation,” Atsushi points out. “The colour changes before your eyes according to your position and the natural light. “This sequence of colour transformations, or chou-zaku , is intended to express the living warmth and energy of the koji fermentation process.” Suzuki was faced with one challenge during the project, and that was getting the colour of the acrylic fixture right. “ I wanted to express a subtle warm heat, hoping for an effect that resembled blushed skin. “ ATSUSHI SUZUKI, LEAD DESIGNER, TRANSIT BRANDING STUDIO 02. The acrylic fixture was designed in the spirit of the classic gable roof. / 03. The use of pink throughout the space helps enhance the visual experience. 02