Gurumê is located in one of the densest and most upscale neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro: Ipanema, an elegant beachside neighborhood. With lots of restaurants, art galleries and fancy stores. The japanese restaurant is located at Aníbal de Mendonça St., one of the coolest streets of Ipanema, the one that connects Ipanema beach to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, two of the beauties of the city.
The main room is an ample and vaulted space with the aspect of a tunnel clad in wood. The wooden tunnel is structured by the succession of porticos that defines its geometry and is lined with slats of cumaru wood. It transforms itself into the big wooden bench. The communal table, designed by Bernardes Arquitetura, stimulates people to interact with each other.
The main materials that were used – the oxidized copper and the natural wood – were chosen due to the inspiration in the universe of sea and fishery, because of the speciality of Gurumê restaurant: the Japanese culinary. The goal was to create a sophisticated atmosphere using materials whose appearance could suggest the exposure to weather – as it happens with those used in marine vessels. That’s why the materials were used in their natural colors – the cumaru wood with its light tint and the oxidized copper that acquires greenish tones. The handmade ‘off white’ tile, used on the floor, becomes neutral and highlights the other materials. All the furniture – including the communal table, the wood benches, the corian benches and countertops - was designed by Bernardes Arquitetura and the chairs are designed by Fernando Jaeger.