yinjispace

INTERIOR
Space Copenhagen
PHOTOGRAPHY
 Joachim Wichmann
EDITOR
Gina
Collection

Space Copenhagen, the Danish design studio founded by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, has completed the interiors of Kinyöbi, a new restaurant in Copenhagen by Chef Will King Smith, known for Restaurant Goldfinch. Drawing inspiration from the intimacy, material richness and layered energy of Tokyo's contemporary dining scene, Kinyöbi brings together a refined Japanese sensibility with the quieter rhythm of late-night urban life, balancing clarity, texture and intimacy through careful attention to materials and atmosphere.

The 262㎡ restaurant unfolds as a sequence of spaces rather than a single dining room, offering different ways to sit, gather and experience the interior. Each area has its own character yet remains connected by a restrained palette of materials, filtered light and architectural rhythm.

Upon entering Kinyöbi guests first arrive in the bar and lounge. Here, the space feels low, tactile and intimate. Built-in sofas and lounge seating, upholstered in heavy linen and leather, create a grounded softness, while warm walnut panelling absorbs both light and sound, lending the room a calm, almost cinematic presence. Crafted Ren chairs in walnut by Space Copenhagen for Stellar Works introduce a quiet precision to the setting.

Throughout the space, vintage Asian console pieces and sculptural objects have been carefully placed as subtle interruptions within the otherwise contemporary interior language. Their patina and material weight create moments of contrast within the interior, linking naturally to the heavy stone columns of the existing architecture that quietly anchor the space. The dialogue between stone, wood and aged surfaces becomes a recurring thread throughout the restaurant.

The bar runs the length of the space, with its back wall conceived as a large Japanese cabinet. Sliding walnut lamella doors partially reveal a softly lit display of bottles - an understated reference to Japanese craftsmanship and the quiet beauty of concealment and revelation. Extending naturally from the bar, a DJ area with shelves of vinyl records contributes to the experience from the moment one enters. Music is embedded in the space rather than added to it.

The bar and lounge are framed by delicate wooden screens with vertical lamellae, filtering light and views as the interior opens towards the restaurant beyond. This layering allows the spaces to transition gradually rather than feel divided. Above, large pendant lamps designed by Paavo Tynell for GUBI, crafted from hand-stitched bamboo, cast a warm, diffused glow throughout the interior.

Further inside, the restaurant reveals itself around a central, lively, open kitchen. Guests are seated around the kitchen at a counter inspired by Japanese dining traditions, adapted to a familiar dining height that balances proximity and comfort. Above, a suspended structure of paper and walnut reads almost like a lantern hovering beneath the ceiling, casting a soft ambient light over the precise, choreographed movements of the kitchen.

Along the façade, bespoke built-in sofas line the space behind bamboo curtains that filter daylight and soften the link to the street outside. The interior remains connected to the city yet slightly withdrawn - quieter, warmer and more intimate.

Throughout Kinyobi, the material palette remains deliberately restrained: wood, stone, paper, bamboo, leather and textile - all chosen for their tactility, depth and ability to age gracefully. The interior moves between stillness and subtle energy, between contemporary precision and a timeless sense of craft. References to modern Tokyo sit alongside traces of traditional Japanese interiors, creating a space shaped less by statement and more by rhythm, texture and detail.

With Kinyobi, Space Copenhagen continues its exploration of hospitality interiors that prioritise tactility and emotional resonance. The result is a restaurant that feels quietly cinematic - rooted in Japanese references yet unmistakably contemporary Copenhagen in spirit.

MORE PHOTOS