RESTAURANTS + BARS
Roka Akor
Chicago, IL
Inspired by the simple flavors, textures, and fresh ingredients of Roka Akor’s sushi and robata menu, DMAC’s design honors the integrity and pleasure of exquisite, contemporary Japanese cuisine. Located in Chicago’s Rivers North thriving restaurant scene, DMAC artfully used metal, wood and stone, which contribute to a choreographed space in which guests are thoughtfully led to discover new experiences throughout the designed environment. The teak entry slats filter views and frame a progression into the spacious lounge, main dining room and two intimate private dining rooms.
The lounge features a ceiling composed of teak slats in an intriguing geometric pattern. Light spills from the opposite wall through a sculpture of scissoring teak panels. DMAC designed and directed local artists in repurposing old nails into a large-scale pavilion that enshrines the dining room’s centerpiece: a sushi bar and robata grill. Over twenty thousand hand-cut nails salvaged from a grain elevator circa 1887, are delicately welded together to form an elegant crosshatch.
With their emphasis on creativity and craft, DMAC’s use of natural and reclaimed materials yields a warm and sincere, yet highly evocative, space complementing the quality and artful presentation of fine Japanese dining.
