Modernism and Contemporary Design Meet in Maido

London-based Child Studio has converted a former 1960s post office into contemporary Japanese restaurant Maido. Studio founders Alexy Kos and Che Huang share how they combined references to both the neighbourhood’s modernist buildings and Japanese design details

Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client?

Alexy Kos (AK): We were approached by the Maido team after they visited Humble in Chelsea — the all-pink pizza restaurant we designed. They loved the interiors and wanted us to help them with their new project, Maido Sushi’s first stand-alone dining and retail project in Saint John’s Wood.

What was their brief to you for the project?

Che Huang (CH): The clients’ brief was to create a contemporary Japanese restaurant that feels premium but also welcoming and unpretentious. They wanted to avoid the cliches associated with Japanese restaurants and develop something unique and relevant to the neighbourhood. Another important aspect of the brief was related to the functionality of the island counter — this theatre of making and serving the sushi and sashimi dishes is an essential part of the dining experience, and every detail had to be carefully considered.

What’s the overall size of the space?

AK: The restaurant is on a street corner in a former post office. It’s a late-modernist building that spans two floors, with a total area of 240 square metres. 

What’s great about the neighbourhood and what makes the location unique?

CH: Maido Sushi is located in St John's Wood in North West London, just around the corner from the famed Abbey Road crossing. This neighbourhood, with its lush parks and red-brick facades, is home to many celebrated Londoners, including Sir Paul McCartney, Kate Moss and Ewan McGregor, but there’s also a growing scene of independent hospitality and retail stores.

How did you approach the project — what design references or narrative did you try to incorporate into the space?

AK: Our aim was to rediscover and celebrate the history of the former post office building. It was built in the 1960s, and we wanted to pay tribute to the city’s modernist public spaces of that era. The Japanese references are subtle: the materials palette, the geometric patterns and the handcrafted woodwork detailing. We focused on natural or tactile materials like cherry wood, aluminium, stone and glass blocks. 

Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the architecture or interiors?

CH: We always enjoy finding interesting furniture pieces for our projects, mixing antiques and contemporary pieces. For example, we paired the 1950s moulded plywood armchairs by Norman Cherner with cast aluminium stools by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, and lighting includes antique brass sconces by Italian pioneers of rationalist design Stilnovo and Gae Aulenti’s 1960s Pipistrello table lamp. We also sourced antique Mies Van Der Rohe MR10 steel chairs from a lovely local antique shop called Ground One Six.

What other features are you most excited about?

AK: We love the large semi-circular glass block partition, which divides the space into two to form a quiet lounge at the back of the restaurant. The daylight filters through the textured glass, creating a calm and serene atmosphere. We were inspired by the facade of St John's Wood Library, the next-door building of the same era. It has a small and unassuming shopfront, but the library entrance is a beautiful combination of square glass blocks and dark wooden framework.

Images / Felix Speller & Child Studio