Aoshima is a mysterious island in the Pacific Ocean. It is a small island with a circumference of about 1.5 km, with a shrine in the center of the island where subtropical vegetation grows thickly.
In 1962, the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan visited Aoshima, Miyazaki City shortly after their marriage, and the island became a mecca for honeymoons and enjoyed a period of prosperity. After that, there was a period of dismal conditions, as the vibrancy faded and the large hotels that had gone out of business along the coast were abandoned for about 20 years. However, around 2010, when the large hotels were demolished, Aoshima began to change.
Aoshima is one of the best surfing spots in Japan, and surfers had long been coming from all over the country to surf there. An increasing number of people began to move to Aoshima in search of good surf and an environment where they could work and live in close proximity to each other, and some of them opened stores. Gradually, an atmosphere that had not existed in Miyazaki began to spread to Aoshima, and the "tourist town Aoshima" began to regain its vitality. This is where the Corona epidemic began in 2020.
Aoshima (Miyazaki City), which had an ideal environment for remote work and workcations, will begin to attract even more immigrants and tourists, creating a unique opportunity to open hotels and simple lodging facilities. It was against this backdrop that the project was initiated.
There is a road planted with palm trees to the east of the site and a park with lush green grass beyond, and the Aoshima coast, stretches about 200 meters away from the road. There is little traffic on the road, and on days when the wind are a little strong, the sound of the waves is faintly audible.
The main LDK faces east, and you wake up to the sound of the waves and the morning sun. In order to bring the blue sky and morning sunlight into the room, the LDK is sloped so that the ceiling is higher toward the east. When the wooden windows are fully opened, the 2.7m deep covered terrace and the LDK become one, creating a comfortable intermediate area between inside and outside. After cooking a simple breakfast in the equipped kitchen, one can spend the day playing in the ocean, working at a seaside café, or taking a nap at the hotel. At night, the sounds of insects begin to echo along with the ambience of the sea. After a dinner in the dining room, you will fall asleep listening to the sounds of nature.
I planned this project with such a day in mind.
The name "NAVE" means "ship" in Italian and "nave" in English. The large roof stretching to the eastern sky resembles the bow of a ship running on the Pacific Ocean, and the terrace surrounded by cedar pillars looks somewhat like a nave. I hope that a day spent here will help you regain the serenity of your daily life.
