Brinkworth has created the design scheme for OKA Onigiri, a Japanese restaurant bringing fast, fresh comfort food to Berlin’s restaurant scene.
Drawing on Japanese modernism and the geometry of the triangle, Brinkworth used a soft, three-sided shape as a building block of the design scheme. This becomes the basis of pattern and form across surfaces, furniture, fittings, signage and communications.
The brand identity features a full custom mono-spaced typeface and a colour palette where ‘kiiro’ (yellow) is the focus, supported by a vibrant blue and natural tones. The experience is coherent, from the wrapping of takeaway orders to graphic representations of menu items to social media content.
The interior of the restaurant features pale timber, canvas fabric and clay render on the walls. The geometry of the onigiri brand shape is used in myriad ways: from the two-tone bespoke terrazzo floor to the wall-mounted tables. Craftsmanship comes to the fore in the curved timber forms of the chef’s table and custom stools and benches. The ceiling features a modern, graphic take on Noren – traditional Japanese fabric dividers that welcome diners and advertise the business.
Sonny Cant, Brinkworth’s design director said: ‘Working with OKA since its inception, we were able to seamlessly integrate every element of the brand world, from naming and visual identity to digital, spatial and experiential expressions. With a modern, graphic take on tradition, the distinctive and sensorial world of OKA can help build a new community that loves Japanese food and good design.’
Brinkworth collaborated with OKA founders Maxim Streletzki and Kaoru Iriyama on the project.
Streletzki said: ‘Brinkworth’s focus on craftsmanship and materiality aligns with our own and provided a strong foundation to build something exceptional. The restaurant is a beautiful, functional space for a unique sensory experience. We now have an ownable, flexible brand to carry our company forward, bringing joy through onigiri and a love of Japanese culture.’
OKA offers made-to-order onigiri: triangular rice balls with a selection of fillings, wrapped in nori.
