Subcultural Retreat with a Kick

The concept of this workplace project in Tokyo, Japan, was to create a special space for employees, a platform for creators to gather and celebrate their individuality, culture, and ideas. Under the main theme “Subcultural Retreat with a Kick,” the design was inspired by keywords such as “Asia,” “chaos,” “cyberpunk,” and “pop culture,” and we strived to create a new spatial expression that deviates from the traditional office image. By blurring the boundaries between rooms, the space became a free-form canvas “retreat” covered in art and neon lights. This collaboration between the architect, art curator, numerous craftsmen and 22 artists in total, resulted in a spectacular project full of exciting “kicks.” The conference rooms are considered as stand-alone structures and placed in the center of the floor culminating the symbolic “Central Retreat.” Employees are welcomed by two different spatial approach: one with DJ booth and a café counter, accented by neon lights on deep red tiles, another with a tunnel composed by a unique combination of punching metal, artwork, neon lights, and white tiles. A special floor was designated as a team space for various sub-communities not only to work, but to gather, cook, and socialize, creating an atmosphere of a festival or night market. The artwork created on each floor features a mix of up-and-coming and veteran artists for a unique mix of elegance, sophistication and raw young energy, ensuring the work born of these collaborations would be truly one of a kind. Showing many different styles of art, a uniformity to the space as a whole is articulated with the governing concept “Subcultural Retreat with a Kick” in mind that matches the company culture and design concepts.