This unusual interior belongs to The Cave Restaurant in Sydney, Australia, designed by Koichi Takada Architects.

Aside from looking good, the curved, intimate contours of the space also have another function; sound.

Koichi Takada recognised that the acoustic quality of restaurants also contributes to the comfort and enjoyment of a dining experience. So in response, they incorporated timber profiles into the overall design which generate a sort of sound studio atmosphere.

The series of acoustic curvatures were tested and developed with computer modelling and each ‘timber grain’ profile has been translated and cut from computer-generated 3-D data, using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology.

Thus, the pleasant ‘noise’ of conversation adds another layer to the surrounding visually interesting and complex dining experience.