Thermal Spring Hotel by Yohei Akao Is Granted the Golden A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design

Yohei Akao acknowledged for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ Thermal Spring Hotel by Yohei Akao, designed for Strickland, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the Golden A' Design Award

The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

More About Thermal Spring Hotel

Thermal Spring is a hot spring bathing facility on the first basement level of a hotel in Kyoto, Japan. The interior covers 469 square meters, including the entrance and the corridor, and uses natural hot water that rises from the site. The design is inspired by the geology of Kyoto, by the spiritual traditions of the city and by the memory of the land. Garden stones found on the site were reshaped and reused for stone sculpture and flooring. A clay wall in deep indigo recalls the local dyeing culture, while a granite wall with a natural surface suggests underground water veins.

About Yohei Akao

Native to Japan, Yohei Akao graduated from Musashino Art University in 1997 having studied in the Department of Spatial Planning Design. Yohei joined the eminent SUPER POTATO CO., LTD. in 2001, before establishing his own and setting up Strickland in 2011. As a founder and design producer of Strickland, Yohei is well experienced in working in hospitality projects with his extensive portfolio encompassing international projects. His projects require in-depth research and thorough planning with holistic design approach, promising to cater tailor-made design for every project, revamping and creating iconic and unique entertaining space.

Award Record

This recognition makes Yohei Akao a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2020 - 2021 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.

About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award

The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/120175
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/120175
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!120175
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/302029
Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.strickland.jp/

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: Thermal Spring Hotel
Function: Hotel
Category: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Discipline: Spatial Design
Industry: Architecture and Packaging & Retail
Colors: Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Gray and Dark Gray
Images: 5
Client: Strickland

The Recognition

Laureate: Yohei Akao
Country: Japan
Recognition: Golden A' Design Award
Edition: 2020 - 2021
Design ID: #120175

Credits

Team: Worktecht lighting Design & Consultant and Ilya
Image Credits: Photographer Yoshio Shiratori

Design Details

Unique Properties: This Thermal Spring is located in B1 at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto in Japan. Being located in Kyoto, which has a deep history and culture in Japan, and being located in front of Nijo castle, which is valuable historical heritage that has looked at Japan's long history elevate the value even more. Utilizing the natural hot springs that spring up from this site and the design derived by scenic beauty of Kyoto also produce the luxury space in the basement floor.
Inspiration: The facility is inspired by three cores. The first is "geology of Kyoto". The underground of Kyoto is a water basin that stores abundant water, and we have got the inspiration by the groundwater veins covered with rocks 1000 meters underground. The second is "spirituality of Kyoto". There are many sacred temples and shrines in Kyoto. We have been inspired by the spiritual experience of water, light and sound that can be obtained there. The final "memory of this land" is the value of revisiting the original scenery stones (garden stones) of this land and placing them in this facility again.
Research: In design, researching on the "location" and "history" of its land is very important. What happened in this place, what was happening in this place? The town of Kyoto, in front of Nijo Castle, a World Heritage Site, the residence that was the root of the client. Gradually narrowing the scope of research, we carefully narrowed down the appropriate way of land. Ultimately, it should be the only space with a story that can only be expressed in this land.
Challenge: Realizing a space that combines a sacred atmosphere and geology was the most challenging content. The story of how to reach the final destination, the thermal spring, is not artificial, and maintaining the most natural state for the guest, and the material is like designing the air, not the shape. The design was completed by paying close attention to the selection of the material and the level of light.
Realization and Technology: ・ Modify the scenic stones on this land and reuse them for stone sculpture and floor stone. ・ A clay wall that expresses water using the indigo dyeing culture of Kyoto ・ Granite wall with natural skin inspired by groundwater veins
Operation and Interaction: Arriving at basement, you will encounter a stone object that has been here for a long time. The sound of dripping water and the very underground water vein surrounded by the bedrock are followed by a deep indigo plastered clay wall. Beyond that, there is a corridor where you can feel the continuity of Shiraki, and when you proceed, you will arrive at the reception. And when passing through the changing room, a thermal spring just like a water garden spreads out in front of you.
Project Duration and Location: The project has started in 2017 and finished in November 2020, located in Kyoto, Japan.
Specifications: Total area of Thermal Spring including the entrance and corridor is 469 square meters. The basement 1 has also other facilities, Spa treatment and fitness area.
Keywords: hotel, wellness, luxury, hospitality, Spa, relaxing,