Stand up and pace out 13m.
Go on, do it. It's worth it to get a sense of scale.
That's 13 adult-sized, longish steps. It's longer than the combined kitchen, dining, and living room I'm sitting in as I write this, and more than three times wider than those rooms. It's a fair distance.
Now, imagine spanning a steel beam from one end to the other, with two of them 600mm apart. How deep do you think the beam needs to be? We'll be hanging some lights off of them, along with some plywood cladding painted black. Any guesses?
For the design of the lights in the Uchi Lounge, I originally proposed two 300 deep steel beams. Gee, I got that wrong.
This was the brief:
A 13m long ribbon of light floating in the space with no structural support in its length. A massive 8.4m x 1.6m concrete table firmly established at the centre of the space. By structuring the space with measures unimaginable in normal restaurants, people are overwhelmed by the unusual scale, hence paralysed about the scale reference within Uchi Lounge. The walls and ceiling painted in a boundless black seem to continue into eternity - it is as though the ceiling does not exist, only the weightless plane of light is hovering above. "Space" becomes an abstract concept as common references fail, and at this point in time, the cuisine on the table, in front of the eyes, is the only reality; the act of food appreciation, is where one concentrates all senses. Information about the restaurant space disappears into background; only the food on the tongue is taking the centre stage in one's mind.
Not sure if you agree, but I'm not convinced a 300 deep steel beam fits this architectural narrative.
The final design used two 150 steel beams. But how did we get from 300 to 150?
It is essential for a building to be structurally sound throughout its lifespan. However, meeting all serviceability requirements is not always a strict requirement. In many cases, serviceability requirements are recommended rather than mandated by code. In fact, in some buildings, serviceability requirements are intentionally disregarded as part of a conscious design decision.
This is why:
The key to the structure is that it uses its full strength capacity, with no requirement for serviceability capacity. This is achieved by installing a super-thin, long steel beam that experiences large deflections upon installation. With the deflections in place, the finishes are added to the beam, and the cladding is built straight and "true," hiding the excessively deflected beam behind it.
The steel beam was allowed to deflect, then the beam was clad, hiding the heavily deflected beam.
A ribbon of light
Sketch of the final arrangement
Moving the steel beams into position on a quiet Saturday morning.
The two beams floating through the space.
Uchi Lounge is a Japanese restaurant designed by Facet Studio, with a tunnel-like entrance that enhances the expectation of the cuisine. The restaurant also features a 13m long ribbon of light floating in the space with no structural support in its length. The design uses a super-thin, long steel beam that experiences large deflections upon installation, allowing for a more efficient solution where strength may be the governing criteria. The restaurant aims to be a conceptual space where people concentrate on the act of food appreciation.
