2025
Yakushima Island, Japan
300 m²
Architecture Competition Entry
Celebration of the Local Materiality
Noki is a sculptural concept for Not A Hotel Yakushima. Its handcrafted, charred shingle cladding gives the building a distinctive character that blends into the surrounding environment. The simple massing, composed of two overlapping slender rectangles, features a cantilever that creates a dramatic entrance canopy and a retraction that forms a pleasant roof terrace on the third level.
Compact positioning to the plot allows the site to be largely restored to its natural state. The ground floor houses a spacious entrance hall and a flexible utility space that functions as storage, workshop and gym. A spiral staircase and an elevator at the center of the structure lead up to the second floor. The middle floor contains the dining area and living room, creating a cozy and prestigious heart for leisure and relaxation. This level also includes two bedrooms that open toward the sea. The top floor features a lounge and a spa area with a sauna and bathtub. The top level also hosts a bedroom offering a breathtaking view of the sea. All interior spaces are linked through fluid internal connections. The roof terrace, connected to the top floor, offers magnificent panoramic views of the surroundings. In addition to relaxation and sunbathing, the terrace allows for a dip in a swimming pool or a cold plunge pool directly from the sauna. The outdoor location of the cold pool adds a profound experiential dimension by simulating the traditional Finnish avanto, the hole in the ice.
The structural frame is made of wood, and the charred shingle cladding for the exterior walls is handcrafted from local cedar. The vertical wood slatting of the facades emphasizes the simple massing of the building and reduces sunlight loads indoors. The shingle texture continues into the interior in its untreated state, providing the rooms with a warm and pleasantly haptic atmosphere. As a whole, the architecture of the building represents an extremely simplified design that symbolizes the unpretentious beauty of Yakushima.
