Designed around the concept “Always worth the trip,” our previous Premium Outlets shopping centers in Japan have offered visitors getting away from daily life by replicating American streetscapes. By contrast, for the Fukaya-Hanazono Premium Outlets, we referenced local nature, industry, and culture to create a tourist attraction that contributes to regional development. To achieve this, we abstracted and reconstructed natural elements such as scenic mountain streams in nearby Nagatoro and the famous local lilies as well as distinctive local architectural materials such as the bricks of Fukaya, paying particular attention to novelty and freshness.
For example, we avoided the heaviness of brick by arranging it in a lattice pattern atop exterior walls, turning the entrance and edges of the promenade into landmarks. The overlapping curves of the promenade were inspired by the rivers of Nagatoro. At several places where the curves intersect, gazebos whose forms evoke lilies or splashing water link the buildings and provide places for visitors to relax.
Another design theme was creating not just a commercial shopping facility but a place where each visitor can enjoy themself as they please. In addition to outdoor dining areas at some of the restaurants and cafés, there is a plaza whose origami-like roof echoes the mountains visible in the distance, and in spaces created by varying the width of the promenade, patio umbrellas and outdoor furniture extend the shade of trees. Together, these design features offer opportunities to relax while experiencing the hallmarks of the region.
Although most of the buildings are single-story, one building on the southeast side has two stories to improve visibility from the rail line and highway. Its walls feature origami-like folds that look different in the daytime and at night, turning the building into a symbol of the shopping center. The food court, a key element of the facility, is located on the second floor of this building. Terrace seating faces the central plaza, offering views of both the facility itself and the mountains in the distance.
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