Paradise Imagined at Sen Hakone Resort

Tokyo-based firm Curiosity has conceived a ‘virtual hotel’ in Hakone that reflects the designers’ approach to space and design as they extend their practice beyond the retail projects for which they’re best known. Curiosity co-founder Gwenael Nicolas shares more about the concept and rationale behind Sen Hakone Resort, an evocative, albeit fictious, property that celebrates Japanese hospitality and the country’s natural beauty 

Design Anthology: Can you tell us about the origins of your firm and how you ended up establishing Curiosity in Tokyo?

Gwenael Nicolas: Myself and producer Reiko Miyamoto established Curiosity in in 1998. I was born in France and studied in Paris and London before moving to Tokyo almost 30 years ago.

What kind of projects has your practice become known for since the firm was established?

Our design practise seamlessly spans interiors and architecture to graphic design, product and cosmetics, but our firm’s strongest aspect has always been retail design. The recognisable characteristics of our designs are translucency, surprising materials and unique forms. If you use our products or encounter our spaces, you quickly realise that our designs aren’t simply about obvious beauty, but that considerable thought has also gone into their functionality. Our designs originate from a storyboard in which the subjects are the central focus, and we always incorporate an element of discovery and unpredictability.

We’ve worked with international fashion brands for almost a decade and our company is known for high-end retail with a modern approach. Past clients include Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler, Berluti, Louis Vuitton and many others.

Curiosity is a design studio that voices its opinion about a specific project, focuses on ideas and moreover seeks out the ultimate possibilities that time and budget offer. The dialogue we initiate with the different clients and individuals we encounter always ends up going far beyond the original expectations. Maybe we just make them more curious?

We believe that each new project is an opportunity to learn something new and push the limits of our knowledge, but always incorporating our past experience.

What was the rationale behind conceptualising a ‘virtual resort’?

We want to bring the vision and energy of our retail projects into the world of hospitality. The idea behind conceptualising Sen Hakone Resort was that it would enable us to find new partners and clients who share a similar philosophy and curiosity.

I was thinking about how we could actually convey our vision, free from preconceived ideas, and make a grand gesture that would bring the visitor to a series of memorable experiences. In this case, our project works like a lens that focuses on the simple things that are actually essential to creating a fulfilling experience, and we bring a twist and unexpected moment into every possible experience of the resort. We talk a lot about augmented reality, but here we are talking about an ‘augmented experience’.

Our studio works across a broad spectrum of disciplines, but the creation of a complete project was necessary to show our vision and ideas in terms of hospitality. The idea of storytelling is important in our work, and we looked for the essence of every element of the hotel in order to redefine its existence, function and appearance.

The resort is deeply rooted in Japanese hospitality, which is probably the most unique and fulfilling experience, with a modern timeless aesthetic.

Can you tell us some of the key elements that you wanted to bring into the concept?

First of all, Sen is based on the unique location along the river, so all experiences, discoveries and encounters aim to enhance the relationship with the location and how each space relates to the water and the different locations that nature offers. More than creating a new design, we wanted to reveal the wonders of nature; the arrival space is a glass bridge over the river, the pool is a boat floating on the river, so you ‘swim on the river’, and the restaurant (accessed via a bridge) looks like a large abstract sculpture. At night guests can have a drink in the bar right in front of a waterfall.

Nature is not just the background but the main character in the play. At the same time, we studied other elements like the culinary experience, where the spatial design reveals an aspect of the cooking. In the robata restaurant, for example, we’ve created a glass wall filled with smoke, while the sushi restaurant reveals the original street food concept and can be moved around the resort.

Can you tell us more about the material choices and other specific design details?

All the materials are sourced locally, and the resort is ‘programmed’ for the next 20 years. After those 20 years, the resort will be demolished and the land left to go back to its original state with limited impact. The interior elements are developed around a timeless aesthetic that could be described as ‘textured minimalism’. We worked with Japanese artisans to develop unique materials, from the interior finishes to the objects like glasses, lacquered amenities and, of course, furniture. Though still a virtual project, our vision already extends to the smallest details.

As told to / Suzy Annetta 
Images / Courtesy of Curiosity