rojkind arquitectos: tori tori restaurant construction

‘tori tori’ restaurant, mexico city
photo © rojkind arquitectos

considered one of the best japanese restaurants in mexico city and due to its success,
tori-tori is now moving to a bigger location in the same area of polanco, mexico city,
where architect michel rojkind of rojkind arquitectos and industrial designer hector esrawe
of esrawe studio teamed up to make it happen.

taking advantage of the plot’s conditions, the parking space will be left where it is, to use
the budget mainly for restructuring and renovating the house, stripping the residential interior
and removing all familiar features to produce an entirely different environment.

although the client’s requirements were oriented towards a japanese interpretation, it was not
literal, he wanted the place to have its own personal expression, contemporary and cosmopolitan,
by enhancing its existing spatial conditions through different experiences, the new range of open
spaces, its terraces, its sake bar and its own exclusive temple oriented at highly demanding sushi
lovers. maintaining a very intimate and subtle feel towards the first encounter with the exterior,
once you enter you’ll find yourself in a terrace, where eating and drinking are embraced by natural
vegetation. the building’s organic facade and landscape were carefully designed to become an
extension of the restaurant creating a strong relationship between the inside and the outside.

the facade as if mimicking the natural ivy surrounding the retaining walls, is made up of two self
supporting layers of steel plates cut with a CNC machine and handcrafted to exact specifications.

the facade’s pattern responds to the inside openings, filtering light, shadows, and views that will
constantly invade the interior spaces. an atmosphere enriched by the spectrum of subtle changes.

the interior receives and follows the exterior with subtle contrasts. each room has its own nature
and shows a clear relationship with its function. the furniture was inspired and made for tori tori
and developed with a direct orientation through each space. during more than eight months
a complete collection of chairs and tables were created, for both exterior and interior use.

construction process
photo © guido torres

photo © guido torres

construction workers weld the facade
photo © guido torres

photo © guido torres

photo © rojkind arquitectos

project info:

project: tori tori restaurant
city: mexico city
country: mexico
construction: 629 sq.meters
program: japanese restaurant
client: dr. katsumi kumoto kawasaki
design year: 2008
date of completion: 2010

credits:
architectural project: rojkind arquitectos (michel rojkind, gerardo salinas)
+ esrawe studio (héctor esrawe)
rojkind arquitectos:
michel rojkind (design principal)
gerardo salinas (principal)
project team:tere levy, agustín pereyra, raúl araiza, carlos alberto ríos,
isaac smeke jaber, enrique f. de la barrera, daniela bustamante
esrawe studio: héctor esrawe – principal in charge
project team: ricardo casas, basia pineda, ian castillo, karianne rygh,
alejandra castelao, jorge bracho, marcela muñoz, edgar sánchez

design computational consultants: kokkugia – roland snooks, robert stuart smith
facade engineering: grupo mas: eduardo flores
construction: zda desarrollo + arquitectura – yuri zagorin
lightning design: luz en arquitectura – arq. kai diederichsen
audio and video project: ntx new technology experience
landscape: entorno taller de paisaje
structural engineering: ing. juan felipe heredia
M.E.P: quantum design
furniture: esrawe studio
kitchen: san-son
visualization: glessner group
interior visualization: esrawe studio
invited artist: photographer guido torres

rojkind arquitectos: tori tori restaurant construction

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