Brooklyn Kura

• Location Brooklyn, NY
• Year 2023
• Design Team Shuji Suzumori, Yukari Honda, Wentao Guo
• Size 1,500 sf
• Construction MNC Contractors
• Photography Cheng Lin

Reinterpretation of Izakaya – “Izakaya” in Japanese means to “stay” at “sake store” or “brewery”.  The taproom at Brooklyn Kura which brews its own sake onsite, is one of very few authentic Izakaya’s outside of Japan.  Located within a historic warehouse building in Brooklyn, the project is a reinterpretation of a modern Izakaya rooted in the heritage of Brooklyn’s industrial past and its reborn present.

The design strives to express this complexity through its selection and treatment of materials.  Working primarily with reclaimed materials found within and around the Industry City’s warehouse complex, various elements are carefully shaped and wrapped with sensitivity found in Japanese traditions.

The floating wood soffit, inspired by large wood barrels used for sake fermentation, is made from reclaimed oak flooring boards left over from another job site.  To highlight the natural character of reclaimed wood, the grooved back side of the boards, routed so that the boards sit flat on the floor, is lightly sanded and exposed as the finish side, adding texture to the soffit and capturing the light and shadow from the hanging lights.  The multiple layers of resourcefulness and attentive use of materials culminate in a refined industrial aesthetic.

The design of the bar counter, a signature element in the taproom, follows a similar approach but with the use of steel.  Steel tubes salvaged from plumbing work is cut to length and carefully polished to enhance the natural patina of steel.  When meticulously aligned vertically for the knee wall, the tubes create a surface that is and feels robust but with depth of character usually found in products rooted in tradition and craft.

The concrete stage, enabling a floor seating experience found in many traditional Japanese homes and restaurants, anchors the other end of the tap room.  The fluted concrete edge is an inverse profile of the steel tubes at the bar, creating a thematic dialogue between the two ends.

The copper ring curtain separating the private dining room from the taproom is an homage to the “nawa-noren” (rope curtain), traditionally hung at the entrance of the Izakaya.  Following the original function, the chain curtain provides a sense of privacy while allowing the spaces to flow into each other.  The hanging light fixtures in the taproom are inspired by the string lights that illuminate the courtyards at Industry City.  Together with the three bays of industrial fold-up doors open fully, the taproom connects seamlessly to the courtyard outside.