OKANA | Arkham Projects

OKANA is tension. Tension between black and white, artisan and industrial, perfection in production and free hand.

A timeless space, free of clichés, where food is the protagonist and architectural details take a back seat. A place where the stage allows the colors of the ingredients to be highlighted, where the pokés are the main actors in this gastronomic scene.

Strokes, inspired in an abstract way by Hawaiian tattoos, but at the same time in Mayan lattices, land us in a Yucatecan context. Pieces made by hand by a local craftsman, looking for the individuality of each piece in tension with the perfect modulation of the pieces made in series; unique pieces, like each poké, unique. This element, totally black, envelops the space without becoming the protagonist of it; It is indirectly illuminated, which generates a surprise factor when it is discovered by diners when they live in the space. This skin is evidence of the mixture of both cultures, the same thing that happens when preparing Hawaiian food with Yucatecan hands.

The visual finish, a wall of semi-transparent glass blocks at double height, behind which you can see the name Okana, which is blurred and distorted depending on what is happening in the kitchen at that moment and from where you are viewing the Wall. This refers to the infinite possibilities that poké has and the different combinations that can be made depending on the users each time they visit the establishment.

Okana was a project in which the graphic design firm and the clients were very involved from day zero. From the way the food is ordered, to the way every square inch was designed, they make Okana a place to get to know. The sum of all the above generates a playful sensation in the user, where each visit is a different story, and where the culinary possibilities and the design generate a unique gastro-architecture experience.