An alluring new home for Guernsey’s finest Japanese restaurant

The transformation of 16-20 Smith Street, a former post office in a protected building in St Peter Port, was an ambitious, collaborative project, driven by the energy of restaurateur Sam Jarrold and shaped by the building’s unique history.

Balancing sensitive restoration with careful intervention, the challenge was to tailor the design in real time as construction progressed. Before refurbishment could begin in earnest, structural challenges in the underlying architecture had to be reconciled. To meet fire and acoustic regulations, significant upgrades had to be introduced. Additional ducting and other services were also required to accommodate the kitchens and associated preparation spaces that would allow the restaurant to function.

At ground floor level, the historic building was separated into two simple rooms. Accommodating kitchens and back-room equipment, the design optimises the space, with key elements of tailored joinery serving to obscure ducting and services while enhancing key views.

Taking the form of a floating screen, separation between restaurant and kitchen draws focus to the activities of food preparation while at the same time providing a substantial illuminated feature to draw attention from the street. Between restaurant and bar, backlit screens resembling shoji serve a similar purpose while providing a direct reference to Japanese culture.

Other similar references are implied though a reductionist simplicity that simultaneously embraces the more frivolous and graphic content of contemporary Japanese culture. Simple built-in seating, also a source of ambient lighting, provides for a passively lit internal landscape with only a few elements drawn into sharp focus.

Taking inspiration from London, Tokyo and Bangkok, Fukku was conceived to challenge expectations of what hospitality in Guernsey could be. The result is distinctive and alluring—a richly detailed space in which bespoke joinery, sculptural steelwork, atmospheric lighting, custom furniture and bold graphics create a truly unique dining experience.

WINNER – GUERNSEY PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION AWARDS 2025 – INTERNAL COMMERCIAL OF THE YEAR

Design Team: Chris Martel and Natasha Dickinson-Potapkova, in collaboration with Beth Jarrold
Project Manager: Sam Jarrold
Contractor: Wayne Barrett Carpentry & Joinery
Photography: Etienne Laine