"Purists, turn away—this modern Korean-American destination is proudly fusion, and that’s a good thing. Though still on its soft opening, West 32 has stirred quite a buzz on social media as Poblacion’s newest hangout, decked out with moody, industrial interiors that promise an eventful evening."
Tatler Philippines
Dining Radar: 5 New Restaurants and Tasting Menus to Try This March 2022
Art Director and Designer: Alana Jorge
Client: Jeff Oh and James of Notorious Concepts / Brooklyn Industries
Project Managers: Angela Cinco & Fiona Faulkner
Photographer: Jv Rabano
Design and research Assistant: Kaila Galan
Interior Design and Architecture: ARK DESIGNS, Kathleen Encorporado
The entire concept came from Jeff and James, who wanted to bring New York Koreatown to Poblacion. The original NY Koreatown is located between West and 32nd street - hence the name. I incorporated this through the typeface choice! I patterned the logo type exactly after New York street signs, which is also why the "est" in West 32 is a smaller size. I incorporated red "W32" stamps and occasional kumihos (9 tail foxes) to incorporate traditional Korea.
The secondary letterpress font is to match the industrial interiors of the restaurant. I decided to sprinkle some good old Helvetica in there for posters - as it is the official typeface of the New York subway. The main display font is Roadway.
Quick thank you to Angela and Fiona for being fun to work with, and for trusting me to work on this! One of the fastest approvals, pass after pass so far. Thanks to Jv for the photography and styling that 10/10 matched my visual identity deck. Lastly, I wouldn't have been able to finish this without Kaila, my trusty assistant and extra brain cells.
