TORAFU ARCHITECTS

Following the interior plan for the Marunouchi main store, the Tamagawa Takashimaya S・C store, and the Tokyo Midtown store of the jewelry brand “Hirotaka,” we proposed the interior plan of the brand’s Kobe store. As the first directly managed store in Kansai, the street facing store in The Kobe Former Foreign Settlement is the site for this store.

Upon entering the store, you will see an onyx fixture cut out from large gemstones giving off a strong presence with its rugged natural rock surface and layers. In addition, the river stones stacked in two stages and one COR-TEN steel pipe support the glass case. The laminated wood furniture painted with a gradation color in the center and furniture made by adhering the three logs in the rear area convey the significant expression of the dynamic wood texture. The COR-TEN-steel-made 3m-high whirlpool fixture covered in red rust draws its inspiration from seashells. Through the glass walls redesigned from the existing facade, people can clearly see the inside of the shop. Intentionally, the view is blocked from the outside with large furniture to attract people to look into the store. Extended the scratching finish applied to the upper half of the mortar plastered wall to the outside of the store, the finish connects the interior and exterior spaces separated by glass. A 3m-long-tubular light drawing an organic line and a large monitor on the exterior wall catch the eyes of people on the street.

We aimed to create a space like an art gallery where each fixture radiates its presence and you can feel the rust of COR-TEN steel, the layers of stones, and the passage of time from the growth rings of wood.