Kashiwa Sato provided the total interior design direction for the global headquarters of the world-renowned pharmaceutical company, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Kashiwa expressed the essence of Takeda’s DNA to the world through the elaborate interior spaces. He developed the overall concept of “life force” based on what has been Takeda’s mission since its inception, namely “to strive towards better health for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine, with the patients at the center of all that we (Takada) do.”
The flow of movement from the entrance, post the reception to the working areas tells a story of human life, expressed in the eight kanji for “life”, “water”, “light”, “earth”, “trees”, “people”, “ connections”, and “future”. The characters were turned into modern designs that convey the spirit of Wa (a sense of Japanese-style harmony), which is inherent in Takeda, and applied as artwork on the walls, carpet and lighting. This project got much attention as the latest perspective of space branding, not only for communicating Takeda’s corporate identity of supporting “life force,” but for also positioning and providing spaces for all people engaging with Takeda to share the same bright future.
