Restaurant Kuro.Mori, Freiburg | Germany

In the centre of Freiburg in a listed building directly adjoining the old market hall, a new restaurant for the famous TV and Michelin star chef Steffen Disch has been created. The name of the restaurant – Kuro.Mori – is Japanese and means black forest. This cleverly references the fusion cooking of Disch where Asian dishes are mixed with regional ingredients. The appropriate interior comes from MEISSL Architects from Seefeld in the Austrian Tyrol. They have taken up the fusion concept of the owner and paired Asian simplicity with Black Forest hospitality in their interior. The Kuro.Mori was immediately voted one of the “Most beautiful restaurants and bars 2021“.

The design language is linear and minimalist. For this, the fixtures are cleverly presented. Brick walls, old vaulting and sandstone jambs give atmosphere to the spaces in the restaurant. Furthermore, the fixtures also have a zoning effect that has been intelligently followed by the architects. The core of the restaurant is the open kitchen in the front area. You can observe the busy city life outside the door through the large display window. At the rear, the restaurant becomes more intimate. The spaces are narrower, but for that higher. A green wall stretches up to six metres high and attracts all gazes. It is provided with natural light by a glass roof. A comfortable bar completes the tour.

Using discrete colours, contemporary designer furniture and selected textiles, a unique location in the old town of Freiburg arose, which makes you think more of Tokyo, Shanghai or Singapore. The most important tool for the architects was light, however. It allows the fixtures to be accentuated and provides an intimate note for sometimes overheight spaces. Lighting control comes from JUNG and is implemented using the eNet SMART HOME wireless system, which was specially conceived as the retrofitting version for existing buildings. Operation is via wall panels from the Smart Control series or from a smartphone with the app. Switches, push-buttons, sockets and room temperature controllers also come from JUNG. The CD 500 range was chosen in white and black.