Joseph Wu

Intended to emphasize folding as one of the key visual elements of the restaurant, a spectacular 180 feet long by 5 feet wide origami paper sculpture was designed by mcfarlane green biggar Architecture + Design Inc. and executed by Joseph Wu, a local origami master, to run the length of the restaurant.

The name Oru has no direct translation, but is derived from the Japanese meaning “to fold”. The stunning piece provided the solution to several challenges the designers faced. Firstly, it provided a strong element that was visible from the street level below as well as the hotel lobby, helping to draw patrons up to the restaurant’s second floor location. This geometry was further emphasized by protruding the origami piece past the end of the upper floor restaurant into the ceiling of the main hotel lobby as well as providing a very textural element during the day and a unique illuminated sculpture at night.