Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2023
Norm Air Hotel
by Hayato Ishii
- A' Design Award 2023 Silver Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: Norm Air
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 21,567
- Verification code 10E8865107 · Verify this award
About Norm Air Hotel
The private hotel Norm Air, based on the concept of chill and art, was designed to provide a luxurious chill experience. Overlooking the sky, forests, and lakes, the hotel offers a visual experience of floating in the sky, just as the word air implies. Designed for inclement weather, guests can enjoy the art on display at the hotel and the luxury chill experience even on rainy or cold days. Furniture and tools created by artists and designers allow you to enjoy an extraordinary experience.
Hayato Ishii's Norm Air Hotel exemplifies a distinguished trajectory within contemporary architectural practice that seeks meaningful dialogue between built intervention and natural context, a conversation that has animated architectural discourse from the organic modernism of the mid-twentieth century through current biophilic design movements, the work demonstrates exceptional sensitivity to site, allowing the dense forest to embrace rather than merely surround the structure, creating what phenomenologists of architecture might term a dwelling that emerges from rather than is imposed upon its landscape, the bold chromatic choice of deep charcoal black for the exterior cladding might initially seem to assert dominance over the verdant setting, yet this darkness paradoxically achieves a kind of visual quietude, the building reading as shadow made solid, a void carved from the forest rather than a foreign object inserted within it, technically the work exhibits considerable sophistication in its handling of geometric complexity, the primary diagonal cut creating a dynamic profile that energizes what might otherwise resolve into static rectilinearity, the standing seam roof with its integrated skylights suggests careful attention to interior light quality, bringing controlled illumination deep into the building mass, the warm amber glow visible through upper glazing offers tantalizing suggestion of interior refuge, the archetypal promise of shelter and warmth that architecture at its most fundamental has always extended, the glass balcony creates a threshold condition, a liminal space where inhabitants might feel simultaneously protected and immersed within the natural world, viewers are invited to consider how architecture might honor landscape not through mimicry or camouflage but through confident formal gesture that acknowledges both human presence and natural primacy
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The hotel is designed around the theme of chill and art. In this age of information overload, this is a place where you can feel the luxury of being surrounded by nature, doing nothing, and being fulfilled just by being in this place. This space is not just a place to stay. To achieve this, we not only prepared some contents in the space, but also thought about creating a comfortable space to experience them.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Floor area 921.06m2
Building area 245.47m2
Wooden 2-story building - Tags
- sensitive, nostalgic, minimal, chill, art, air, hotel, lake,
- Production Technology
- In order not to influence the surroundings, the exterior is all black to blend in with the natural environment. No wood is used for the building's finishes, and the plan is to enjoy the forest by incorporating natural trees as borrowed scenery, with a clear contrast between the interior and exterior. In order to fully enjoy the view of Lake Kawaguchi, a roofed balcony is provided to maximize the feeling of floating in the air.
- Design Challenge
- Because of the laws in this area to preserve the natural environment, it was very difficult to harmonize the design of the building with the natural surroundings. By using a mainly black exterior to blend in with the natural environment, the hotel became difficult to see from a distance, and visitors to the hotel were surprised by the sudden appearance of a very modern building as they walked through the forest, feeling uneasy because they could not locate the hotel.
- Project Duration
- Project starts in September 2020
Construction starts in October 2021
Open in July 2022 - Operation Flow
- The private hotel norm. air, based on the concept of chill and art, was designed to provide a luxurious chill experience. Overlooking the sky, forests, and lakes, the hotel offers a visual experience of floating in the sky, just as the word air implies. Designed for inclement weather, guests can enjoy the art on display at the hotel and the luxury chill experience even on rainy or cold days. Furniture and tools created by artists and designers allow you to enjoy an extraordinary experience.
- Research
- In designing this hotel, we had many discussions with the project members.Through these discussions, we came to share the design concepts of sensibility, nostalgia, and minimalism. We tried to create a space that is elegant, not eccentric or new, but rather a nostalgic and peaceful space where people can feel at ease and enjoy their childhood, and a sense of unity using as few colors and materials as possible.
- Inspiration
- Faced with the shift to a new lifestyle due to the Corona disaster, it has become difficult to go out, and not only has the demand for lodging and restaurants declined, but young artists have equally lost a place to express themselves. We would like to see private hotels, where guests are limited, become places for expression. We aimed to provide a place to connect people who are stressed because of limited access to the outside world with artists who have lost a place to express themselves.
Colors of Norm Air Hotel
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G0E23 ShopGrand Interview about Norm Air Hotel
The project was originally inspired by the street art that dotted the streets of New York City, where the client spent time as a student.We thought that art should not be something you go all the way to museums to see, but something that exists in our daily lives and should be more familiar to us.The client wanted to create a place where people could feel close to art, like the streets of New York.We also thought it would be meaningful if we could provide a place for young artists who have not yet been able to showcase their work to the world.
Before designing hotel norm. air, we designed a related lodging facility called hotel norm. fuji.I synchronized the shape of the accommodation with that of the hotel.I also wanted people to focus their attention on the view of Lake Kawaguchi in front of the building, so I erected walls on both sides of the building, with openings only in the front.The exterior walls are finished with a traditional Japanese thatched roof with a single letter to express stillness in contrast to the movement of the surrounding environment.
Kawaguchiko is a very cold area.Even if you come to visit this place, you can enjoy this hotel regardless of the weather so that you will not be unable to do all the things you want to do because of cold or rain.Also, the balcony is higher than the surrounding buildings, so you can see a nice view of Kawaguchi Lake without having to put in extra buildings.
Basically, artworks selected by norm. members are exhibited on a monthly basis. For the artists, it is a great opportunity to catch the attention of many guests, and for the guests, they are greeted by a different presentation each time they come to the same building.The hotel is constantly evolving.
As mentioned above, it is very cold in the winter at Lake Kawaguchi, and it is not possible to stay outside for long periods of time.However, in winter, when the air is clearer, you can see the beauty of Lake Kawaguchi.We would like our guests to see such beautiful scenery and experience the smell of the forest in the morning.For this reason, we have created a large balcony as a space where guests can escape from the rain and cold as much as possible.
While actively using modern materials and techniques, we tried to create a relaxing space, a landscape that we have seen in the distant past.We also tried to choose materials within the color scheme we had initially decided upon, rather than using a large number of materials and colors.
Yes, the overall shape of the building may seem avant-garde and eccentric, but it was designed in accordance with the standards of the Natural Parks Law.I also think that the fact that the exterior of the building is all black is a major factor in its ability to blend in with the natural surroundings.We created an exciting feeling that the building could be seen from a distance, just a little bit.
I think the best expression of The concept of “luxury chill” is the large inner balcony.I think that just sitting there in a daze is the meaning of coming to this hotel.Even if I don't do anything myself, the surrounding environment changes little by little as time goes by, and I think it has the effect of relaxing my mind and body tired from the hustle and bustle of the city.
hotel norm. air is not only a place to stay, but also a place for communication. In addition to accommodations, the hotel can be used for magazine and video shoots, weddings, parties, and other events.By increasing opportunities for many people to gather, the artwork displayed there will be seen by many people.
It is no exaggeration to say that after the pandemic, not only in this area but also in many other areas, single-building rental accommodations have become rampant.In this situation, the hotel management of hotel norm. air, which is constantly changing, has a solid concept that does not allow others to follow.I believe that the secret of success lies not only in creating a well-designed building, but also in creating a hotel with a solid concept.