This project involves the design of a VIP lounge within a new arena in Kobe, which has a seating capacity of approximately 10,000 people. While the facility is primarily intended to serve as the home arena for a basketball team, it is also designed to accommodate a wide range of uses, including concerts, international exhibitions, and forums. It is expected to become a new hub for community interaction in the region.

The client expressed a desire to create "a space that is not a conventional VIP room."

In response, rather than offering traditional material luxury, the design reinterprets luxury for a new era as the experience of interaction and presence itself—rooted in Kobe’s unique culture and urban character. The proposal envisions a VIP space where people can naturally connect and find value in time and experience. Drawing on the city’s distinctive landscape—with the sea to the south and mountains to the north—the design creates varied spatial expressions according to orientation, allowing visitors to intuitively grasp their position within the space.

The interior finishes incorporate local materials such as earth from Hyogo Prefecture and traditional Japanese paper (washi), offering guests a tangible connection to the region’s culture.

In terms of furniture layout within the suite lounge, a uniform, parallel arrangement was intentionally avoided. Instead, furniture shapes and placements are randomized to gently guide movement through the space, creating moments where lines of sight intersect and dead angles emerge. This approach allows spaces for both quiet solitude and social interaction to coexist, giving users the freedom to choose how they wish to spend their time.

Through its spatial composition, use of local materials, and furniture planning, the project seeks to realize a new form of luxury centered on experience and connection.