Huit Sushi is a contemporary Japanese restaurant located in Montreux, Switzerland. The interior is structured around two intersecting walls — one in polished metal, the other in illuminated acrylic — which divide the space into four main zones: the open kitchen, dining area, cocktail bar, and waiting lounge. This cross-shaped layout supports intuitive circulation while maintaining clear spatial separation.
The concept of Huit Sushi reflects a contemporary interpretation of Japanese spatial logic — quiet, deliberate, and minimal in expression. In response to today’s demand for adaptable environments, the project was envisioned as a neutral and flexible setting — one that doesn’t impose a fixed narrative but instead serves as a calm framework for diverse guest experiences. The architecture avoids overt expressiveness, favoring clarity that emerges through rhythm, proportion, and material nuance.
Central to the spatial strategy is the notion of balance through opposition. Two intersecting walls — one glowing, one reflective — define and guide the entire composition. These elements are not merely decorative; they are conceptual anchors that organize movement, create ambiance, and set the emotional tone of the space.
What distinguishes Huit Sushi is that our team was responsible not only for the design, but also for the full production and on-site implementation. Every visible and invisible element — from structural components to lighting and furniture — was custom-made and installed by us. A key technical feature is the custom-developed LED wall, designed entirely in-house. The main challenge was to create a consistent glow without visible LED strips or shadows — a frequent issue in backlit surfaces. Our solution enables smooth color transitions across the full RGB spectrum, while avoiding unwanted hues like yellows and pinks. The lighting is fully adjustable, allowing the ambiance to shift from dim and intimate to bright and vivid as needed.
An additional innovation was the integration of a glowing restroom door within the same LED wall system. It can either match or contrast the main wall’s color and brightness, introducing a new layer of spatial interaction and offering the possibility of “different restaurants within one.”
Materiality supports the conceptual narrative. The open kitchen and surrounding wall surfaces are fabricated from the same custom-finished metal, transitioning seamlessly from interior to exterior. This reflective surface plays with daylight and LED glow, dynamically changing throughout the day. Tables and countertops are crafted from inhomogeneous acrylic blends, introducing tactile depth and a handcrafted appearance that contrasts the clean lines of the space.
Above, acoustic ceiling panels ensure that the space remains sonically comfortable during peak hours, absorbing excess noise while blending visually into the architecture. Seating zones are designed to be intimate yet fluid — from bar seating to shared tables — enabling both private and communal dining experiences.
Even the restroom area reflects the project’s design ethos — entirely clad in matte black, it becomes a monolithic volume with strong aesthetic identity, designed down to the smallest detail.
At its core, Huit Sushi is more than a restaurant. It’s a spatial composition where restraint, innovation, and material precision create an emotionally resonant atmosphere — a place where form follows feeling, and architecture becomes an experience.
