Sticks'n'Sushi Oxford by Neri&Hu: Textile Layers and Nordic-Japanese Hospitality
A second interpretation of a familiar dining culture
Sticks'n'Sushi Oxford opened in 2018 at the Westgate development, extending the Danish-founded restaurant brand's combination of Japanese food and Scandinavian hospitality. Neri&Hu's design for the Oxford location is distinct from the Victoria restaurant, showing how one brand can maintain a recognisable sensibility without reproducing an identical interior. Its character is built through fabrics, light, furnishings and the spaces that form between them.
The restaurant's official studio portfolio records the project as complete, with an address at 311 Westgate on Castle Street. Material supplier Création Baumann describes the design as an interplay of Scandinavian elements with Japanese dining traditions, with customised textiles used to divide the room and create different atmospheres.
Textile partitions rather than rigid separation
The architectural emphasis is on how lightweight fabric can define a place without creating a full-height wall. Curtain-like partitions allow dining areas to become more intimate when needed, while their translucency preserves the sensation of a larger continuous environment. This flexibility is important for a restaurant whose spaces may accommodate different group sizes and changing patterns of occupation.
Some textiles are selected for a degree of visual privacy, while others are lighter and work with illumination. The result is a series of softened thresholds that allow neighbouring areas to remain perceptible. Textiles are therefore part of the interior's spatial organisation rather than simply window dressing or a decorative backdrop.
Light as a second material
Light changes the appearance of a fabric surface: a translucent curtain can appear almost solid when unlit and become a luminous screen when illuminated from the other side. The Oxford project uses this quality to add depth and visual interest within a restrained palette. Rather than compete with the activity of dining, the illuminated partitions support a more relaxed atmosphere.
The interplay among textiles, furniture and light gives the restaurant a calm character. Different seating arrangements can read as smaller rooms even while they remain connected to the shared setting. This makes privacy a matter of degree, allowing customers to choose between a more social experience and a quieter table.
Scandinavian craft and Japanese restraint
The brand's cultural identity is expressed through the quality and balance of these choices. Scandinavian design traditions associated with warm, carefully made furnishings meet the Japanese preference for measured detail and spatial restraint. The combination is not a collage of visual motifs but a shared emphasis on considered everyday use.
The textile supplier identifies different curtain ranges selected for the project, including SOLARE PLUS, SONOR COLOR III, SINFONIA CS VI and SERENO COLOR II. Their performance and transparency differ, allowing the interior to respond to the practical needs of dining while preserving an overall sense of softness. This range of materials underscores the value of designing partitions for specific spaces.
An Oxford setting rather than a copy
A successful hospitality interior can be recognisable without feeling repetitive. By making textiles and light central to the Oxford scheme, Neri&Hu offers a different interpretation of Sticks'n'Sushi's identity from the mineral materiality of the Victoria site. The restaurant's character comes from a distinctive response to spatial and social conditions rather than an applied brand formula.
The nine distinct images in the official portfolio capture the completed Oxford project. Rather than duplicate photographs to meet an arbitrary target, this draft retains those nine authentic gallery selections and marks photographer identification for confirmation before publication.
Project information and credits
Project: Sticks'n'Sushi Oxford, 311 The Westgate, Castle Street, Oxford OX1 1NZ, United Kingdom. Interior design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office. Completed: 2018. Textile supplier: Création Baumann (project reference). Gross area is not specified on the official studio page and is therefore not estimated. Nine photographs from the studio archive are included; individual photographer credits and reproduction permissions require verification.
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