2001: A Design Odyssey

 

 

From kitschy terra-cotta Tuscan villas in Yaletown to opulent steakhouses downtown, Vancouver's restaurant design maxim has long been 'more is more'. In recent weeks, influences from London and San Fransisco have combined with talented local designers taking a positive step toward a modern aesthetic. Perhaps symbolic of the changing tastes of Vancouverites as we approach 2001, recently failed south Granville restaurant Gianni's rustic Italian decor has been replaced, at great expense, by a decidedly more modern and minimalist restaurant.

New owner Jack Evansall, of Whistler's Araxi and Cin Cin in Vancouver, handed architect Werner Forster a brief for a million dollar makeover, insisting that he erase all vestiges of the previous 'homage to Umbria' restaurant which occupied the space. Ironically, Forster had also designed Gianni's restaurant only four years earlier. The new business, named Ouest for its purported mixture of French and west coast cuisine, features such up-scale materials as marble flooring, leather covered walls and imported furniture. The chairs alone, modern classic 'Cab' chairs by Mario Bellini, sell for $1000 each. Why go to such expense you say?

Part of the inspiration for this costly but understated design comes from the Chef, David Hawksworth, who has spent the past ten years working in the ultra style conscious London restaurant scene. Restauranteurs like Marco Pierre White and Oliver Peyton, both of whom Hawksworth has worked under, have significantly turned up the heat in London's restaurant scene in the past decade, combining fine dining with a cutting edge, always fresh, design sensibility. It is widely recognized that Vancouver's top restaurants rank among the best in North America. If Hawksworth has his way, Ouest will add to that reputation and could, on a smaller scale, create the sort of culinary excitement which has fueled his work in London.

For Vikram Vij, owner of Vij's modern Indian restaurant in the South Granville area, design plays a central role in communicating the restaurant's philosophy. Vij's 'Curry Art' menu represents a departure from traditional Indian dishes and conventions, a concept which Vij decided should be reinforced in the decor. Working with designer Marc Bricault they tried to be evocative of India, but in a subtle way, avoiding a colonial Raj dining room appearance. Vij explains their goal as, "using Indian ethnicity but taking it to another level. Using Indian elements, Indian colours, Indian signs like the elephant on the lamps for example and combining them with the minimalist look of the restaurant".

The decor is constantly evolving as new items are found. A 700 pound Indian door was uncovered in a collector's garage in Seattle two years ago and the most recent addition is an eye-catching 3/4 inch thick slab of Onyx, lit from behind providing a golden glow to the bar area.

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