Hikohito Konishi Receives the Bronze A' Design Award for Ebetsu Tsutaya Books Book Store in Architecture, Building and Structure Design

Hikohito Konishi recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2020 /DesignNewswire/ Ebetsu Tsutaya Books Book Store by Hikohito Konishi, designed for Hikokonishi Architecture Inc, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

The Bronze A' Design Award Explained

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Regarding Ebetsu Tsutaya Books Book Store

Ebetsu Tsutaya Books is a lifestyle bookstore in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan. The building is formed of three blocks, themed on mind, life and food, arranged in five zones to reduce the visual mass of a structure spanning 140 meters. The interior spaces frame views of the neighboring forest and keep a sense of unity. Raw materials create a calm atmosphere, including locally produced bricks, concrete flooring, exposed structural steel, furniture of wood and steel, and the lighting design. The bookstore also hosts events for local residents.

Award Record

Hikohito Konishi is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards span the editions from 2017 - 2018 to 2019 - 2020 of the A' Design Award & Competition.

About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award

The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Entries typically include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. Awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/94879
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/94879
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!94879
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/220768
Further Information from the Laureate: http://bit.ly/2OGSyuc

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Ebetsu Tsutaya Books Book Store
Function: Book Store
Category: Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Discipline: Spatial Design
Industry: Architecture
Colors: Cornflower Blue, Gainsboro, Sky Blue, Dim Gray and Dark Slate Gray
Images: 5
Client: Hikokonishi Architecture Inc

The Recognition

Laureate: Hikohito Konishi
Country: Japan
Recognition: Bronze A' Design Award
Edition: 2019 - 2020
Design ID: #94879

Credits

Team: Yujin Sato and Culture Convenience Club Company, Limited
Image Credits: Nacasa & Partners Inc.

Design Details

Unique Properties: Ebetsu Tsutaya Books, a lifestyle bookstore in Japan. The three blocks are assigned the themes of "Mind", "Life", and "Food" respectively, and the interior spaces are configured to enable visitors to appreciate a framed view of the forest and a sense of unity. The space creates a tranquil atmosphere for the visitors by utilizing raw materials, from the locally produced bricks, the concrete finished flooring, the exposed structural steel, furniture made with wood and steel, and to the lighting design.
Inspiration: Ebetsu Tsutaya Books was inspired from nature around and strived to create A Forest Library that proposes a lifestyle within a comfortable space. This building is not only a commercial facility selling goods but also a place striving to create and nurture a culture. This resonates with the resolution of the Tsutaya Books founder to "create places where people gather", which is passed on to us as our response to the theme of Slow-Life of Ebetsu Tsutaya Books.
Research: After completion of the building, events for residents have been planned out, nearly 50 events monthly and over 500 throughout the year, to contribute to the local culture, and it has played a central part in the local community offering much more than public buildings in the city.
Challenge: In order to restrict the volume of the structure spanning 140 meters, the three blocks within the structure have been given five zones by displacing their plan and layout. By doing so, the structure constitutes a unified group, and the subdivisions within it are thought to be effective in attracting more people. Intending to create a contrast to the greenery of the surrounding natural environment, bricks from three local companies were used for the exterior finish material. We are expecting them to age beautifully with the extruded cement panel base on the side surface.
Realization and Technology: Steel framed Structure
Operation and Interaction: Tsutaya Books, a lifestyle bookstore, has taken on a project with us to open their 20th store, after renewing their type of enterprise, in Ebetsu City, Hokkaido. The site is adjacent to "Four Seasons Promenade" in Ebetsu City and faces a forest thickly covered with large trees. The concept of the store is "A Forest Library to Enjoy a Slow-Life" and to create a place that proposes a lifestyle within a comfortable space.
Project Duration and Location: The project started in April 2016 and completed in August 2018, located in in Ebetsu, Hokkaido Japan.
Specifications: Lot area 33473m2 Total floor space 4423m2
Keywords: bookstore, architecture, architect, japan