兵庫県芦屋市に構えるイタリアンレストランが新たに展開するテイクアウトも充実したジェラート/コーヒー/パニーニ/アルコールを提供するバンコカウンターとイートインを有するショップのためのデザイン。出店立地は劇場とオフィスフロアを持つ高さ200Mの大阪・中之島フェスティバルタワー商業ゾーンの17坪区画。重厚な素材感とダークカラーをまとう中之島フェスティバルタワーに対し、17坪のお店の全体空間は白色を採用した。そうする事により外部空間はビルとのコントラストを活かしながら白で主張し、内部空間においては採用したディテールを含め全ては無の存在としての効果を期待した。特に内部空間におけるそれらの配慮は店内のジェラートケース、デリケースの中の商品群やエスプレッソマシンの存在を際立てる事を設計意図とした。内部空間のバンコカウンターとイートインのテーブル/ベンチシート本体は人工大理石でつくられ、2分された空間を繋ぐ役割りを素材に与えると共に、触って冷たくない手触りの良さを注視した。またイートインで使われる家具は全てこのお店のためのオリジナルデザインとなっている。特に椅子については内部空間のスケールに合わせてコンパクト化し想定する空間に合わせてムダのないデザインにした。しかしデザイン性を重視しただけでなく腰掛けてみると低くやや立ち気味の背板に腰骨を押され自然と背筋の伸びる機能性を併せ持つ気持の良い結果を得る事となる。グラフィックデザインにおいてはショップロゴや店内に配されたドットパターンは「ピリオド」を示すものであり、文章等の区切りに使われる小さい丸を日常に流れる時間を一区切りする休息の場としての意味合いをドットパターンに込めた。日本や海外がもつ伝統や文化を習い、自分なりの美意識と日常に埋没するアイデアを織り交ぜ、現在の時流と将来におけるモノの価値を再考しながら、商業的かつ経済的時流とどこまで歩みを揃えるかとどのように共存できるかを試行したしつらえをオーナーシェフと共に試みた。
It is designed as a place that serves gelato, coffee, panini, alcohol to eat in, as well as to go, providing a banco (counter) and tables to be seated. It was planned as an extended business of an Italian restaurant located in Ashiya, Hyogo.The given location is a section of 56.1sqm in the commercial area of Nakanoshima Festival Tower, which accommodates office floors, a theater and a shopping zone in their 200m high architecture. As opposed to Nakanoshima Festival Tower, which gives a solid feel with its material and dark color, the color of white is employed to create an overall atmosphere for this space of 56.1sqm cafe/bar. That enables the appearance of this cafe/bar to stand out utilizing the contrast to the whole building, and I aimed to make the interior space including the details to have the effect of non existent (nothingness).The purpose of this effect was to accentuate what is to be displayed inside the gelato case and deli case and the existence of an espresso machine. The banco (counter) and the table space including the bench seat for the interior space are made of cultured marble. They function as connection for the divided area, but what is also focused is their texture that do not feel like cold substance.All the furniture used for the table section are uniquely designed just for this place.The chairs especially were elaborately designed to be functional yet as compact as possible in size to utilize the limited space. Any possible waste of the space was trimmed from these chairs. It however did not compromise the comfort for the design. One can feel the natural push on their lower back, and spontaneous stretch on their back and set them selves for a good posture, hence it results in their physical comfort.As for the graphic design, dot patterns are used for the logo and for the interior of the place. The dot indicates a period or full stop. As it is used in the writing form to break per sentence, I wished that these little circles imply the time to pause and have a break in people's lives.Having learned from the traditions of my own country, Japan, and other cultures from abroad, I attempted to mix the aesthetic consciousness that I value, and those ideas that are hidden in the daily lives, then put those on a substance that reflects the trend but will retain in the future. Also in cooperation with the owner/chef, we thought about how to get on the commercial and economic flow. I hope to have embodied that concept in this place.
