Paul Kelly Design Reveals the Ingenuity behind the Famed Sokyo

Sokyo is the name of a restaurant seating 200 diners in Sydney’s Darling Hotel. Its kitchen presided over by renowned Chef Chase Kojima, the eatery represents a fusion of Sydney’s heartbeat and Tokyo’s famous simplicity. Paul Kelly Design now reveals what makes this space work.

The entryway of the restaurant itself is a combination of a traditional Japanese tatami room - minus the actual mats - and the promise of dynamic spaces to follow. Elevating minimalist design to an art form, the open atmosphere the tatami room bespeaks infuses the elegance of traditional Japanese interior design into a restaurant fit for the modern city of Sydney.

The clean lines of minimalist design continue through the dining room. Guests notice that there is no contrived whimsy in the spacing of tables and seats. Functional lighting and spatial use provide just the needed distance between diners to be comfortable. At the same time, they are sufficiently close to one another for an almost shared meal experience. Considering that the menu favors the kaiseki-style presentation, it only makes sense to choose this type of purposeful seating arrangement.

Those favored to visit the kitchen will soon notice that the entire layout of Sokyo follows a module plan. Neatly fitted into the design is the place where the culinary magic takes place. Custom-designed stoves and freezers underscore minimalism while nevertheless delivering meal creations that go beyond the palate expectations of hungry diners. It is clear that the kitchen, the eating room and even the entryway feature trendy designs with strong low-key elements. Even so, the restaurant’s modules succeed in exuding genuine warmth that is usually missing in this type of environment. The trick here is the clever combination of neutral colours and warm lighting whenever possible.

As the diner is ready to leave and the hunger is satisfied, the guest undoubtedly notices the harmony of black polished wood and light panelling that makes up the bar. Upon exiting, there is the rope design that hints at Tokyo’s mountain ranges. Paul Kelly Design relied on CAD software for the creation of this particular feature. From the onset, the designer envisioned an uncluttered environment that would thrive on simple furnishings, muted paints and limited accessories. The dramatic elements of this restaurant’s interior design presentation thrive on the absence of clutter.

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