Situated on the west side of Abu Dhabi Island in Marsa Al Bateen, an area that forms part of the city’s extensive western waterfront and high-end Marasy residential and retail district, this upscale Japanese restaurant with branches in Dubai and Sharjah is now opening in the United Arab Emirates’ capital. The new Abu Dhabi outpost of this homegrown popular Dubai restaurant has once again been designed by VSHD Design Dubai.

The design and architecture of Origami Marsa Al Bateen continues a focus on simple forms through natural materials and organic shapes that reflects the simplicity and minimalism of traditional Japanese culture and cuisine. For the Abu Dhabi branch, due to open soon, VSHD set to work on the original building, an older 15-year edifice. The firm worked closely with the pre-existing structure, stripped away the old finishes revealing the original plaster and its irregularities. In the main dining area for example, walls were also maintained but enhanced. New walls were then added and are made of a thick, rough concrete to complement the original ones. Subsequently, a glossy deep red paint finish was applied to just under half the height of the walls.

The space is devised into indoor and outdoor seating areas. The indoor area features an open space comprising a sushi bar, main dining area and private dining area in the form of an elevated Koshitsu Room available only by prior booking, to give more intimacy and privacy to diners.

VSHD then replaced the existing floor with terracotta flooring to maintain the eatery’s ethnic feel. It then incorporated a mixture of one-off and standard furniture with irregular shaped bespoke items to create an overall ethnic yet contemporary style and feel inherent to traditional Japanese design. For example, it added traditional Fratelli Levaggi wooden chairs as well as original handmade Tuareg carpets as a reinterpretation of tatami—a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. The design approach reflects the approach used in other Origami restaurants, albeit with an enhanced ethnic Japanese touch.