Nichigetsu, a restaurant by Inhalt_ in Berlin, Germany, occupies a former lighting factory in the Friedrichshain district at 16 Rotherstraße, and the building once manufactured the very thing its new interior is built around. The industrial frame stays visible behind a new interior built almost entirely from maple.

The wood covers walls, millwork, and the counter that runs the length of the room, a single monolithic form positioned at the center of the space, the restaurant’s spatial anchor. Glass, natural textiles, and earthy tones round out the palette, but maple does most of the work. Joints between panels are left visible rather than concealed, and trim is kept to a minimum, so proportion carries the room. The counter itself holds little beyond utensils and plates, a restraint that follows a Japanese design principle of leaving space empty.

Large glazed openings pull the street into the dining room, while linen curtains, made with Yasuma Hida and Shiori, hang across the glass and break the daylight into soft, shifting bands across the maple surfaces. The fabric moves with drafts and foot traffic, which keeps the geometric room from reading as static.

The name Nichigetsu joins the words for sun and moon, and the restaurant runs on two schedules to match it, a casual lunch service and an Edomae sushi dinner built around the counter. On one wall, two circular blown glass light fittings by Yasuma Hida hang in dark, solid glass that reads as two suspended bodies against the pale wood.