ORIGAMI & AINEN: Two Ways to Work with a Narrow Plan

FOOD & BEVERAGE · ISTANBUL

Step into ORIGAMI and the illuminated shelves draw the eye towards the pastry counter. At AINEN, also at Tersane Istanbul, a faceted ceiling draws the gaze upwards. Less than six square metres separate the two venues in area, yet guests find quite different things to look at and places to pause.

Light panel behind the display — An illuminated vertical panel rises behind the dark display shelving.

A pastry counter along the long wall

ORIGAMI occupies 160 square metres. Vertical frames divide the long wall into bays that incorporate storage, display and lighting. Each shelf is lit from below. The tiers of trays recall the layers visible in a croissant cut open, a reference the designers used in developing the shelving.

The counter takes the same direction. A long island doubles as a vitrine and service counter, its dark body resting on pale veined stone. A passage beside it leads to the seating area.

Island and wall shelves — The counter runs alongside the shelves on a pale base.

End of the glass vitrine — Looking along the glass case, the shelves behind it and round perforations overhead come into view.

Bakery counter and long wall — Lit shelves parallel the long counter, whose top turns at the far end.

Passage beside the counter — The cabinet follows the long side of the room beside a walkway with a pale floor.

Display behind a small table — Illuminated display compartments stand behind the seating.

Wooden chairs and display bays — Two wooden chairs sit close to the table, with bread on the shelves behind.

Divided display shelves — Slender uprights separate two sets of shelves against a wall patterned with circles.

Light overhead, pastries in view

Dark glazed tiles wrap the bakery, reflecting the light at the edges of the shelves. Round perforations cover the ceiling, concealing services above. Only a few recessed lights are visible, leaving the vertical light panels and illuminated shelves more prominent than the overhead fittings.

The seating continues the same palette. Compact timber chairs and tables with a mineral finish sit close to the counter, leaving room to walk along the length of the shop.

Shelves and back panel — Horizontal shelves stand in tiers against a back panel with a strip of light between them.

Bread on display — Breads of different shapes sit on trays at two levels.

Seating beside the long counter — The counter and seating line opposite sides of a passage.

End view of the island — From the end of the island, chairs, tables and wall shelving recede on either side.

Long axis of the bakery — Seating faces the display case beneath a continuous perforated ceiling.

Shelves behind the counter — Dark horizontal shelves form a continuous run behind a counter with a pale base.

Front of the pastry counter — Open floor lies before the bread counter under a ceiling of circular perforations.

Perforations and recessed lights — The perforated panel ends at a dark recess containing small lights.

Looking up in the burger bar

AINEN occupies 154.5 square metres. The open kitchen and bar sit on opposite sides of the main passage. To temper the impression of a corridor, the designers folded the ceiling into planes at different heights and let light spread across the slopes. Even along a single row of tables, the overhead profile changes.

The island serves guests by day and can become a DJ booth at night. All the furniture, including the dark timber chairs, is movable. The tables and chairs can be rearranged and the lighting adjusted for a change in numbers or a music event.

Tables beneath folded planes — A pale plane slopes down towards the wall above small dining tables.

Ceiling and wall junction — A warm strip below the pale ceiling lights the recesses in the red wall.

Tables along the wall — Chairs line the red wall, with tabletops set against its recessed grid.

Length of the bar — Tables and chairs flank the passage as folded planes extend overhead.

Shared dining table — Dark timber chairs surround a long table beside the recessed red wall.

Service area by the wall — A clear passage runs in front of the cabinetry, with recessed shelves to one side.

Drawers in the island — A pale worktop caps a dark island with several tiers of drawers.

Island and fitted cabinetry — A gap separates the freestanding island from shelving set into the wall.

Open shelving — Cups and glasses occupy several shelves with lighting along their edges.

Ceiling folds down the room — Successive changes of angle are visible in the light and shade on the ceiling.

Fold and lighting by the wall — A bright crease overhead runs near the continuous line of light along the wall.

Opening in the ceiling — A luminous rectangle sits between sloping panels.

Corner of a ceiling fold — Light enters through a rectangular opening beside a panel in shadow.

Red wall junction — Red surfaces of different tones meet at a vertical joint.

Round table for two — Two dark chairs face each other across a small round table.

Table and chair by the wall — A pale round table stands against the red wall, with a wooden chair at one side.

Entrance hardware — A rectangular handle on an upright frames a view of the recessed wall beyond.

At ORIGAMI, a continuous run of shelving and counters lays out the pastries along the long wall. At AINEN the changes in level are overhead, the seating moves, and the service island can become a DJ booth. One narrow interior gives the display a clear, fixed position. The other leaves room to rearrange the seats for an evening of music.

Project credits

Project — ORIGAMI & AINEN
Location — Tersane Istanbul, Golden Horn, Istanbul, Türkiye
Interior architecture and design — URBANJOBS
Project areas — ORIGAMI 160 m² / AINEN 154.5 m²
Lighting consultant — NOX
Photography — İbrahim Özbunar / 645studio
Images and project information — URBANJOBS via v2com
Editorial adaptation — 01DES

ORIGAMI & AINEN: Two Ways to Work with a Narrow Plan

A pastry counter along the long wall

Light overhead, pastries in view

Looking up in the burger bar

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