Press Release
Hiroaki Iwasa Is Honored with the A' Design Award for Hakata Isoragi Seafood Donburi Restaurant in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Hiroaki Iwasa acknowledged for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Hakata Isoragi Seafood Donburi Restaurant by Hiroaki Iwasa, designed for Isoragi, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached 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.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Hakata Isoragi Seafood Donburi Restaurant
The project is located in the Hakata terminal building, a historic gateway for international exchange and a major multimodal hub. The spatial composition centers on serving local seafood in Donburi as a medium to communicate the city's cultural context. Traditional crafts, materials, and artisanal techniques are deliberately integrated with lighting as parallel elements, forming a framework of depth and calmness. Shadow reveals material depth. The design articulates the relationship between space and food, redefining everyday dining as a cultural interface grounded in Japanese sensibility.
About Hiroaki Iwasa
Hiroaki Iwasa is a holistic architect with a 30-year career designing a variety of projects, from architecture to products to landscapes.
Award Record
This recognition makes Hiroaki Iwasa a winner of 4 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2023 - 2024 and the 2025 - 2026 editions 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/174792
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/174792
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!174792
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/346313
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://bit.ly/3Oa67DM
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
- Hakata Isoragi Seafood Donburi Restaurant
- Function
- Seafood Donburi Restaurant
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Dim Gray, Dark Olive Green, Black, Gray and Saddle Brown
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Isoragi
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Hiroaki Iwasa
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #174792
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographer/ Hiroshi Mizusaki
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This project draws on Hakata's history as an international gateway and its setting between sea and forest. The design expresses regional identity through traditional colors, textures, and local materials, integrating crafts, preserved foods, and spatial composition as a unified cultural experience. Developed with local artisans, the space functions as an active platform for regional culture. Its layered layout and food-centered concept offer travelers a brief yet immersive encounter with local heritage and hospitality.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the cultural and geographical characteristics of Hakata, a city surrounded by sea and forest and historically a Japanese gateway connected to the Silk Road. The design interprets this context through traditional colors, textures, crafts, and regional materials to construct a spatial experience of local culture. It presents and sells local crafts and processed foods while integrating regional food culture, where a fresh Seafood Donburi transforms into Ochazuke, creating a layered experience. It aims to provide travelers with a brief yet immersive encounter with local culture and relaxation at the main terminal.
- Research
- Type of Research: Applied design research. Research Objective: To articulate Hakata's identity through spatial and culinary design. Methodology: Contextual and collaborative field research and iterative development. Data Collection: Site visits, interviews with artisans and chefs, and material mockups. Participants: Design team, owner, craftspeople, chefs. Results: Integrated spatial experience linking food and craft. Insights: Evidence based sensory design communicates cultural value. Effect: Cultural engagement and business performance.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was transforming a compact commercial space in a busy station into a high-performing environment that balanced cultural storytelling with customer appeal. Internally, culinary, spatial, and regional narratives had to be unified into a seamless experience. Externally, constraints of the new terminal building, strict fire codes, mechanical limits, and tight construction schedules posed challenges. Integrating original menu concepts and craft displays without crowding the space required careful zoning, sequencing, and coordination with stakeholders to ensure both functionality and emotional impact.
- Realization and Technology
- The design emphasizes regional identity through material expression and artisanal techniques. A dark plaster wall mixed with local earth and charcoal is hand-applied, its tonal variations abstractly referencing waves of the Genkai Sea. Recessed red display shelves incorporate Hakata-ori textile, while wood panels and furnishings with pronounced natural grain evoke surrounding forests. Controlled lighting and material composition guide visual focus and spatial depth. Individually directed lighting enhances each dish while creating quiet personal space. The project was realized through close collaboration with local artisans, integrating traditional craft with contemporary spatial design.
- Operation and Interaction
- The space offers multiple ways for visitors to enjoy their time. Counter seats allow solo diners to watch chefs at work while savoring fresh, quick meals. Window seats provide serene sea views, and small tables are perfect for sharing dishes with friends. The menu encourages a smooth dining flow, starting with seafood bowls that can be elegantly turned into ochazuke. A curated display of local crafts and preserved foods adds cultural allure and invites gentle exploration. The layout ensures each visit feels both personal and seamless.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project commenced in January 2010 and was completed in March 2011 in Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
- Specifications
- Total floor area: 71.12 square meters Kitchen area: 18.43 square meters Dining area: 52.69 square meters
- Keywords
- Hakata, Regional identity, Local culture, Cultural storytelling, Japanese crafts, Local materials, Japanese restaurant, Kaisen Donburi, Immersive experience, Station commercial space
