Project Name: SOLASUNA Hotel

Location: Yukuhashi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Design Team: axonometric

Total Floor Area: 853.40 m²

Completion: November 2023

Photography: YASHIRO PHOTO OFFICE, REPOSHA Yuta Nishino

Feature:

Project - Within a beachfront park in Nagai-hama, Yukuhashi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, architectural firm axonometric has created SOLASUNA, an innovative hotel project. This 853.40-square-meter structure ingeniously resolves the boundary between public and private space, serving as a catalyst for revitalizing this once-thriving but later declined coastal area.

The design team, guided by the concept of "gentle integration between park and hotel," creatively expanded the existing wooden walkway into a three-dimensional form, creating a massive stepped structure that envelops the entire building. The most striking feature of this design is its multifunctionality: the steps not only serve as a natural circulation path connecting guest rooms to the sea, but also provide spacious terraces accessible to both hotel guests and park visitors, while simultaneously functioning as a louver system shielding from strong eastern sunlight and moderating views from the park. Viewed from a distance, the entire structure resembles a grand amphitheater facing the ocean.

The interior spaces demonstrate a profound understanding of the natural environment, creating fluid transitions between the architecture and the surrounding beachfront park. This two-story steel structure occupies 459.50 square meters within a 5,668.70-square-meter site, successfully balancing the public nature of the park with the privacy of the hotel through its innovative stepped design.

What distinguishes SOLASUNA is its creation of a "buffer space belonging to neither park, building, nor nature, yet integrating them all." This transitional zone maintains deliberately fluid and ambiguous identity, making the project not merely occupy its site but transform it, establishing new relationships between public recreation, private accommodation, and natural landscape in a seamless, compelling whole.

Design Team - Founded in 2021, axonometric is an innovative architectural design firm based in Fukuoka, led by Principal Architect Kei Sasaki, undertaking diverse projects both within Japan and internationally. Sasaki previously worked at the renowned SOU FUJIMOTO ARCHITECTS, possessing rich professional experience as a first-class architect and guest lecturer at multiple universities.

The firm focuses on comprehensive spatial design, with services encompassing architectural design, interior design, furniture design, landscape design, and urban planning. The team consists of a group of talented professionals including Managing Director Kaori Kurakazu, several architects and project managers, who collectively infuse each project with innovative thinking and professional spirit.

axonometric's work has received multiple international awards for its unique understanding of space and innovative approaches, including the 2024 DFA Design for Asia Gold Award, Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards (APIDA) Gold Award and Jury's Special Prize, and the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Special Prize. Their design philosophy emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of architecture and environment, balancing practical functionality with aesthetic experience.

The firm's growth and expansion reflect its firm commitment to architectural innovation and increasing influence in the industry, bringing new perspectives and possibilities to Japan's contemporary architectural design field.