Located in the new Westfield London extension at Shepherd’s Bush, Ichiba is London’s premier Japanese dining and retail destination.
Our team worked with the Japan Centre Group to produce a design that maximised the 17,400 sq. ft. space. Appealing to the local residential and business communities as well as to retail and leisure visitors to the shopping mall. All the while achieving a balance between the subtleties of Japanese design and contemporary retail style.
Our team worked with the Japan Centre Group over a period of 18 months, testament to the size and scale of the project. We turned to the traditional Japanese food hall for inspiration and sought to evolve the experience with a dynamic blend of off-the-shelf, daily-prepared produce that is ideal both for lovers of Japanese food and culture and those searching for Instagram-friendly moments.
The space Ichiba occupies is vast and contains an array of different and very specific offers. Our design included a Japanese bakery concept, a sushi grab-and-go offer and meat and fish counters.
Our team designed space for customers to sit at counters around the perimeter theatre kitchen including a robata, demonstration kitchen and sake bar, deli counter and beer taps. The central island counter specialises in okonomiyaki – savoury pancakes. Emphasising the focus on specific dishes that offers an opportunity for everyone to go on a journey of discovery.
For those looking to create their own Japanese dishes at home, we earmarked space for thousands of grocery products. This includes fresh fruit and vegetables and a specialist homeware department.
The look and feel of the store is wonderful. The combination of plenty of natural light, well-deployed artificial light (especially the LED fridges) and a massive load of timber creates a most pleasing environment. Overall, this is a beautiful concept that deserves to flourish.
Bryan Roberts, Global Insights Director, TCC
