Morae Kitchen & Bar features local cuisine based on the island Saipan of Northern Mariana Island, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific. The project’s main idea is to focus on the locals and tourists, a restaurant with a friendly ambiance that brings their friends and family together. The restaurant’s branding started by providing an island vibe that connects with the ocean across the restaurant. I visualized the movement of the ocean waves to come in and out with the sands. This made me think of this space to represent the ocean and the sand to represent the customers. The area also gives a different feeling during the day and night that offers a special effect to the space. People will visit the freedom to enjoy their time on special occasions with excellent cuisine.
The interior walls were all scrapped out and started with space planning. I had all these ideas with rounded private space and the barriers to be spread out for specific seating because it was a vast space. However, the limited budget let me think in a different way that fits the locals and the tourists. Therefore, the space layout had to be revised with no fixed fixtures or furniture in the center of the space. Finally, the space layout is finalized to make the tables movable for significant events for the customers and make it feel alive with an open space.
