Monday 1 December 2014


THE DOJO RAMEN BAR
333 High St, Northcote

Visited: 30th October 2014

Design: Approaching this door always feels like you are about to enter a Japanese cage fighting arena. I think it's the smattering of great graphics, the wrap around windows and the strong vertical and horizontal framing of the black window and door panels. It's a full show from the street as there is nothing to hide here. I loved the symmetry and the full length glass panel on the doors with no interruptions. The solid black, frames the interior beautifully. A simple steel L-shaped handle, nothing too overstated or showy. The slight off gold signage compliments the black nicely. A soft open without too much resistance and an easy close. The thing I like about a lot of these old shop fronts that are renovated and converted when new businesses move in, are the random features that are left behind. For instance, the vertical louvers, the black paneling above the door, a power cable or an air-conditioning hose. They all come together to form a cohesive collage of history. Kappei (Katsuhei) Toyoguchi would be proud.  

Door resistance: 3
Closure mechanism: Hydraulic arm
Draft: Minimal
Squeak level: 1

Change return time: 32 sec






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