Designer Henry Chebaane inspired by aliens, anime and Andy Warhol for Sci-Fi tinged Asian restaurant
The founder of design studio Blue Sky Hospitality Henry Chebaane has told CLAD that interior designers should not be afraid of “outside the box” thinking if they are to create livelier and more authentic hotels, bars, restaurants and leisure spaces.
Chebaane and his design firm, Blue Sky Hospitality, are known for their creative and unorthodox designs, and have just launched a typically quirky Asian restaurant called Kojawan on the top floor of London's Hilton Metropole hotel, with a panoramic view of the city’s northwest.
The restaurant is designed as a retro-futuristic, otherworldly scene, with European design features combined Andy Warhol-style art work and science fiction stylings from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan – countries which have inspired the restaurant's cuisine and its name.
The white ceilings are covered with intricate space-age panels and pipeworks; soft titanium cladding covers the walls; LED screens display Japanese-style anime clips; aluminium menus feature typography taken from manga; and large mirrors are emblazoned with Sci-Fi references, such as the logo of Weyland Corporation from the Aliens film franchise.
In contrast, muted colours following a duotone colour scheme are used to reflect Zen philosophy and the simplicity of private, intimate domestic settings in the three countries.
“Kojawan does not look authentic according to average Western expectations of an Asian restaurant, yet in reality it is filled with a multitude of genuine details,” Chebaane told CLAD. “I have been a frequent visitor to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea over the last 10 years, and while every nation is very unique, there are some shared characteristics – colourful urban pop art, eccentric youth culture, vibrant music, lively dining scenes, Sci-Fi references and a big love of pop culture.
“I’ve attempted to create real tangible and physical experiences from the virtual world of movies, comics and novels. As this is a kind of reverse of virtual reality, we call it ‘real virtuality.’
“I wanted to break every rule about what we typically expect Asian dining to be, but in a fun, lively and authentic way, while at the same time making it relevant to London as an artistic hub in its own right. Designers shouldn’t be afraid to think like this.”
Chebaane – who created 50 sculptures for Kojawan, including a politically-charged replica of the bomb that fell on Nagasaki, with the Japanese word for ‘love’ written on it – insisted that design inspired by pop art can move beyond the superficial.
“All the artwork in Kojawan is open to interpretation,” he said. “It’s a mixture of genres, timeframes and artistic styles, and I hope everyone who comes can interpret their own meaning from it which they take away with them.”
Kojawan is being run by chefs Bjorn Van Der Horst and Omar Romero who have worked in several top London restaurants and hotels. The menu is as quirky as the design, with options including ponzu popcorn prawns and liquorice fish sauce, rice sandwiches and crab-turnip egg cake.
Blue Sky are working on a number of other UK projects, including a British-Indian steampunk bar and restaurant based on time travel and the botanical expeditions of the Victorians, which Chebaane described as “H.G.Wells and Jules Verne meet Doctor Who.”
Kojawan Henry Chebaane Blue Sky Hospitality SCI-Fi Japan South Korea Taiwan restaurant design
Blue Sky Hospitality designs inferno-themed steakhouse for JW Marriott
Exclusive: Henry Chebaane's hypnotic new Baku bar can 'create and cure hangovers'
Henry Chebaane creates opulent restaurant inspired by Azerbaijan's mineral wealth
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
BodyHoliday plans 10-15 locations in the next 15 years
Floating wellbeing destination planned for London’s Royal Docks
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
