AJITAMA NOODLE TEMPLE | JCFS Architects

In recent years, Ajitama has evolved and it became a gastronomic reference in Lisbon. As the brand intended to grow and conquer a new area of the city, a second space in Rua do Alecrim was opened.

It was a huge challenge when we were contacted, as the first space was a large research/experimentation laboratory for the office. For Ajitama and for us, it made no sense to repeat the language of the first restaurant, as such, it has been explored the interpretation of a new element of Ramen that would make us vibrate and fall in love, as we did in the first restaurant – the chosen element was the Noodle.

The Noodle, due to its plasticity, free form and uniqueness, was the perfect element to continue this path. The concept across the several rooms covers ceilings and sprinkles spaces, penetrating almost into customers' conversations.

In order to answer to this concept, we resort to a materiality that transports us to an Eastern environment, the wood, following the first restaurant’s premises, in representation of the determination of Japanese culture. This arises to a huge installation that extends to the ceiling, walls and pillars, defining the space, framed by the planes of the floor and walls in a very simple way. The repetition and interpretation of the curved and counter-curved gesture is projected in these installations and it also conquers countertops, cupboards, counters and bathrooms… The result is a mixture of feelings and sensations, where each room tells its story, but in a whole, we enter in a capsule that transports us to Tokyo.

Playing with the duality between raw / traditional and elegance, the Eastern tradition and Western representation, JCFS introduces a cross between a restaurant that is intended to be fast, efficient, practical and minimalist, comfortable and memorable.