Grounded In Tradition – Apé Yakitori Bar by Prevalent

Apé Yakitori Bar is driven by a sustainability-focused ethos. By honouring the site’s existing raw materiality and carefully introducing carbon-negative materials, Prevalent creates an authentic, warm and elemental dining space for patrons to enjoy.

A sustainable approach to the architecture and materiality of Âpé Yakitori Bar echoes the sentiment behind the traditional Japanese restaurant. ‘Yakitori’, literally translated as ‘grilled bird’, is one of the most traditional and efficient practices of cooking that seeks to limit wastage wherever possible. ‘Âpé’, ancient Ainu Japanese for ‘fire’, also informs the raw and elemental materiality of the space.

A sustainable approach to the architecture and materiality of  pé Yakitori Bar echoes the sentiment behind the traditional Japanese restaurant.

Âpé Yakitori Bar’s layered interior offers a beautiful juxtaposition of the past and the present. Aspects of the original building are kept to honour the building’s industrial past – wires, pipes, paint and services remain exposed. This also limits the use of materials to cover and conceal, contributing to Prevalent’s sustainable approach. In addition, existing autoclaved aerated concrete is used on the walls, lightly sanded or left in its found state.

This rawness balances beautifully against contemporary furnishings and material palettes. The bar, tables and chairs are minimalist and sleek with a dark palette. Large glowing orange lights sit overhead, a nod to the heart of a traditional Ainu Japanese home – the hearth – and the glow of sodium lights along the harbour of Newcastle.

Aspects of the original building are kept to honour the building’s industrial past – wires, pipes, paint and services remain exposed.

Prevalent’s carbon-neutral focus in designing Âpé Yakitori Bar is integral to the overall design philosophy. The studio prioritised supporting early-stage, innovative material fabricators creating carbon-negative materials using processes such as bioremediation and carbon sequestration as part of the circular economy.

For example, acoustic panels are made from mycelium, a material grown on agro-industrial by-products and waste material as part of the bioremediation process. Cellulose fibre extracted from waste pineapple leaves is used for a “leather”-clad bench seat and branding assets. The leaves sequester carbon from the atmosphere during growth, and using the material prevents further release of carbon, as the leaves would otherwise have been burned following the fruit harvest. Rubberwood, a discarded by-product from the harvesting of rubber, is used in furniture. In addition, carbon-neutral stone, made from the dust by-product produced by the cutting of various natural stones, is utilised for surfaces.

Prevalent’s carbon-neutral focus in designing Âpé Yakitori Bar is integral to the overall design philosophy.

Prevalent eloquently balances sustainability and aesthetic integrity by working with existing materiality alongside carefully considered additions to create a unique and authentic space. With the inherent focus on carbon material neutrality echoing the sustainable teachings of Japanese cooking practised for centuries, Âpé Yakitori Bar offers a calm, cohesive and contemplative space that evokes a deep appreciation of both past and future.