MANGA had been open in Almaty for more than a decade. The team wanted to refresh the brand's positioning, and they came to me for redecoration rather than renovation — an update with no structural work at all. That constraint set the whole approach: the architecture stays exactly as it is, and everything the guest reads as new has to come from surfaces, textiles, light and objects.
First impression
I started at the entryway, because it is where the mood is set before anyone sees the dining room. The architecture here was left untouched. The change is a set of traditional Japanese noren curtains in the dressing area — a single element that announces the restaurant's character in the first three seconds and costs a fraction of what rebuilding the space would have.
The bar
In the second dining area I refinished the bar counter in wood to warm the room. Above the tables I designed a wooden panel carrying a mural in the manner of traditional Japanese calligraphy — a piece that gives the room a focal point it previously lacked.
Japanese craft as the source of the palette
The second hall took its direction from Japanese craft traditions: calligraphy, woodworking, rice paper. I use references this way deliberately — not as decoration applied on top, but as a source of materials and proportions. When a room is built from a real craft tradition, it reads as considered rather than themed, and that distinction is the whole difference between a restaurant interior that ages well and one that dates within two seasons.
The summer terrace
The summer terrace was a separate stage of the same project: planting, updated upholstery and tabletops, contrasting piping and decorative accents, all within the existing structure and furniture.
The original architecture and furniture stayed as they were. What changed was everything you touch — new upholstery and tabletops, contrasting piping, cushions and a few small accents that pull the palette together.
