© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

A white space in brilliant colors
This shop was designed for a retail complex called LUCUA, which was built as part of the redevelopment of the Umeda area in Osaka.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

It is a luxurious architectural space of about 278m2 with a ceiling 5m high. When approaching the design I simultaneously embraced the two opposing notions of the overall concept as well as the detailed design of the space. I was conscious that if I based my design on the functional requirements of the space such as the number of products that could be housed, I would end up with an interior resembling a fashion retail megastore. The design that I proposed was an interior space which incorporated another architectural space within it. This interior space was a cylinder made with a structurally self-supporting mesh. Because of the size of the feature I wanted to avoid integrating it too much with the surrounding space, so deliberately aligned it off center from the axis of the building. This layout gives the space a sense of gravity. I also included custom-made hanging light fittings in my plan for the cylinder in order to make the interior space the central focus of the design.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

The composer Toru Takemitsu expressed music with colors. In the same way, I wanted to express a white space using brilliant colors. That is to say, I wanted to use the density of the design to fill the space in the same way as music notes fill a space. This density is not expressed through an elaborate or gimmicky design; rather it is expressed as a fine balance of musical notes.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

This sense of balance diffuses throughout the space in the same way that a drop of watercolor paint causes the surface of water in a jar to ripple outwards. The white space is infused with color but maintains a sense of balance, and the specially-made gold metallic flooring highlights the form of every object in the space. It is in this that the originality and elegance of the shop is expressed.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

The client had a very good understanding of design, and it was largely thanks to this that t was possible to design a space to such a high degree of perfection. (Noriyuki Otsuka)

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Hiroyuki Hirai . Published on May 10, 2012.

© Noriyuki Otsuka Design Office . Published on May 10, 2012.