A Lounge That Evokes Its Locale

In the heart of Ginza, I In’s lounge for luxury retailer Matsuya and credit card company JCB realises the studio’s vision of contemporary Japanese luxury

Our collective desire for spaces that feel more home-like and welcoming is driving change across typologies, not only in hospitality — a logical starting point — but notably in retail. The new VIP salon of department store Matsuya Ginza is an exemplar, drawing on the urban environment and the brand’s heritage to create a contemporary interpretation of a lounge space that feels worlds away from the bustle of Tokyo’s famed shopping district. 

‘Early discussions with the clients revealed a need for a place where people could forget time and truly relax,’ says Hiromu Yuyama, partner at design firm I In. ‘The existing lounge faced capacity limitations, so they decided to add a new lounge in the neighbouring building. The space needed to convey an impression that was both premium and light — active, fresh and contemporary.’

The neighbourhood itself proved a source of inspiration. ‘Ginza is deeply historic and embodies a duality: a place where new cultural expression coexists with Tokyo’s enduring traditions,’ Yuyama explains. ‘If I were to capture the essence of Ginza in a single word, it would be tsuya — ‘sheen’ or ‘lustre’. It reflects light, conveys emotion and shifts in expression when there are people around. This sensibility became the theme of the lounge.’

The original space was long and flowing, with floor-to-ceiling windows. To this canvas, the designers applied reflective materials to the ceiling, allowing for both daylight and interior lighting to spread throughout. Materials are appropriately contemporary, with a touch of tradition. White aluminium panels envelop the space with a lacquer-like sheen, combined with crisp touches of what Yuyama calls ‘Edo purple’. Around windows and on illuminated walls, materials are textural, evoking traditional washi paper. ‘The interplay of luminous volumes — the soft glow of floor lamps, shoji screens catching daylight through windows, reflections on walls and ceilings — fills the lounge with layered light,’ says Yuyama. ‘This evokes the scattered illuminations of Ginza: shop windows, neon lights, glimmers on stone pavements. The lounge thereby resonates as part of the city’s luminous fabric.’

The scheme continues through the furnishings, with sofas upholstered in textiles inspired by Edo purple and custom-dyed rugs to match. At one end is a space composed of purple materials, accented by a glossy console. ‘Each element was chosen to embody the spirit of tsuya,’ says Yuyama. ‘Throughout the space, we also incorporated hinoki cypress, a wood long used in Japanese tradition.’ I In also created the chairs and low tables, both bearing leather finishes. A marker element for Yoyama is the illuminated wall, behind whose washi-like membrane lies a layer of vertical louvres that subtly shift the perception of light depending on the viewing angle.

The result is at clean but comfortable, subdued but warm. ‘Through materiality, light and spatial composition, we sought to translate Ginza’s spirit of tsuya into a contemporary lounge that is fresh yet deeply resonant,’ says Yuyama.

Text by Philip Annetta
Images by Tomooki Kengaku