We designed the restaurant at The St. Regis Chicago as a celebration of its address. Located at the convergence of two bodies of water, the project was an opportunity to orient toward the lakeside. The blue tower facade and its unique formal gesture amidst the orthogonal neutrality of Chicago’s cityscape allowed us to embrace color and curvilinear forms.

For this Japanese restaurant, we also wanted to mine Chicago’s deep globalist tradition. In the early 20th century, textures and motifs from Asia began to permeate the works of the greatest architects of the time, establishing Chicago as a city of innovation.

Guests enter our sequence of signature spaces through a vestibule and espresso bar— a bold contrast between dark and light, with a walnut wood portal, end grain wood floors, and oil rubbed bronze details combined with cream-colored textured plaster walls and a veined Calacatta Bluette marble host stand/coffee bar.

In the dining room, light colored woods dominate with a tone-on-tone palette, lush greenery, and forms inspired by flowing drapery. The room has spectacular views of the river, Navy Pier, and summer fireworks. Beam details in the ceiling divide the field, creating restrained shadows. (Guests access the outdoor patio from the dining room.) The sushi bar anchors the southern end of the dining room like a stage. A blue tile wall is a theatrical background to a Fantastico Arni marble bar.

The main bar is in a glazed corner spot with amazing views facing northeast. The u-shaped bar again features Fantastico Arni marble with scalloped edges and undulations that speak to the waterfront address. A fun, articulated pendant-mount light fixture breaks up the linearity.

The project also includes a PDR; the Drawing Room, a signature St. Regis space integrated into the dining room; and the Library, inspired by a botanist’s study.