Stir Fry Café
Johnson City, Tennessee
Our challenge was to insert a contemporary dining experience into a strip shopping center, and provide patrons with an unexpected aesthetic. This was explored through the unique application of generally ordinary materials applied in a creative manner, but still meeting development requirements. The menu is composed of authentic Thai cuisine, however a clean, modern, warm aesthetic was the desire of the owner. Entering the restaurant starts the patron on a tactile experience from storefront to restroom. The entry signage and awning is a tectonic fabrication composed of Cor-ten steel, glass and laser cut aluminum.
The restaurant has an unusually large kitchen requirement, so the dining room was as a result, very tight. This proved to be an opportunity to create intimate dining rooms as well as a bar area. We developed spatial division by using a variety of fabrics ranging from silk to steel chain mail (a woven wire mesh.) These are seen as hanging vertical elements between booths and along walls as well as horizontal elements streaking across the ceiling and out doors to the rear outdoor dining area. The warmth of the space was achieved by using local reclaimed hickory for the booths and a bench-wall that doubles as a lighting element running the entire length of the main living room.
