Our Space
"It is common to hear that it is in a deep dive into the cultural context of a place that the work becomes universal. This seems to serve as a definition for Tuju's kitchen. As a work of architecture, it is a small-scale work. The work's intention is to appear to be just what it is. As obvious as concrete being concrete, wood being wood. Authentic only because it aims for a kind of truth." Angelo Bucci, architect.
architecture
Designed by Brazilian architect Angelo Bucci, founder of the award-winning SPBR studio, the TUJU project is a progression of distinct spaces dedicated to gastronomic experiences.
"The restaurant's philosophy, adopting its definition, was also based on a clear idea for its physical space. This was already present in the first conversations with Ivan Ralston — whose sensitivity was built through different interests, with an emphasis on music, but which also extends to the arts in general and architecture — and appeared in the way he described the building's program. Not only in what defines the ambiance of an architectural space, but also in an idea of a path. An architectural 'progress' that would accompany the succession of atmospheres that characterize the gastronomic experience that he envisioned for Tuju, which was configured in three environments: the square, the dining room surrounding the finishing kitchen, and the terrace.
The choice of materials common to the context of Brazilian construction culture ends up requiring more care in the design, because, without overusing the appeal to materials, it is the design that gives personality to the architecture and quality to the spaces. The aesthetic references have a component in a historical construction and another, which gives it current relevance, in the attention to what the moment offers as possibilities." Angelo Bucci.
landscaping
Our vertical gardens were designed by the landscaping firm Raul Pereira Arquitetos Associados (RPAA), with native species from the Atlantic Forest such as Siamese cassia, xanadu, white grass, licuala, bamboo dracaena, frog belly and snake beard. All with few flowers but with a rich variation of greens to contrast with the concrete.
furniture
Our furniture celebrates Brazilian design.
The pieces that make up our spaces were created by names such as Geraldo de Barros, Zanine Caldas, Alfio Lisi, Danilo Lopes and Paula Gontijo — designers who translate, in form and material, the richness of national creation. Each piece of furniture carries not only beauty and functionality, but also history, identity and a respect for artisanal work.
objects
Scattered throughout the restaurant are objects collected by Ivan Ralston and Katherina Cordás, gathered over the course of more than 30 expeditions carried out during the design process of TUJU.
Each piece carries a story and a connection to the Brazilian territory. Highlights include a whale bone found in a traditional community near Ilhabela, an island in São Paulo; a mask from the Wayana-Apalai people, from the Serra do Tumucumaque region (between the states of Pará and Amapá), which represents the spirit of food; shrimp traps used in Bahia; rosewood pestles from Serra da Bocaina, used in traditional paçoca preparations; and a skull of a cattle from the Mutum Farm in Goiás.
Together, these objects form a living collection — a kind of sensitive cartography of the deep Brazil, which inspires and dialogues with the experience offered by the restaurant.
