Loft Niseko — Hirafu Village, Japan
Steep slopes and deep powdery snow make Niseko Asia's most enticing ski destination, but the alpine resort on Japan's Hokkaido island is now also building a reputation for its thoughtful architecture. For this block of four three-bedroom apartments, designed by Tokyo-based architect Riccardo Tossani, the structure's exposed exterior concrete was pressed with timber and stained to give an organic texture. Floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows offer unobstructed views of Mount Yo_tei and are fully insulated to ensure a low carbon footprint. The interiors, by Yoo Design Studio (founded by Philippe Starck and property entrepreneur John Hitchcox), feature heated stone floors, hand-tufted wool rugs and lighting by Tom Dixon.
INFORMATION
Photography: Glen Claydon
ADDRESS
Hirafu Village Japan
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Catherine Shaw is a writer, editor and consultant specialising in architecture and design. She has written and contributed to over ten books, including award-winning monographs on art collector and designer Alan Chan, and on architect William Lim's Asian design philosophy. She has also authored books on architect André Fu, on Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, and on Beijing-based OPEN Architecture's most significant cultural projects across China.
-
Year in review: top 10 furniture launches of 2024, as selected by Wallpaper* global design director Hugo Macdonald
The furniture launches that wowed global design director Hugo Macdonald this year
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Unboxing beauty products from 2024, as seen on the pages of Wallpaper*
Wallpaper's 2024 beauty picks included Chanel lipstick, Bottega Veneta perfume and solid soap from the likes of Aesop, Celine, Diptyque, Hermès and Sisley
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
The cosiest alpine retreats to book in Europe
Browse the Wallpaper* edit of European alpine retreats where to fully embrace the ski season
By Nicola Leigh Stewart Published
-
The most whimsical hotel Christmas trees around the world
We round up the best hotel Christmas tree collaborations of the year, from an abstract take in Madrid to a heritage-rooted installation in Amsterdam
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel desk
Wallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Yoruya, a Japanese inn where less is always more
Yoruya, which transforms a 110-year-old former kimono merchant shopfront and residence in Kurashiki, is an exercise in graceful restraint and craft
By Joanna Kawecki Published
-
First look: Noma Kyoto returns and aims to ‘double-wow’ diners
Noma Kyoto opens on 8 October for a ten-week pop-up inside Ace Kyoto. Thomas Lykke, co-founder of OEO Studio, tells us of the interiors’ autumn-forest inspiration
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Kengo Kuma’s new Kyoto hotel is ‘a sanctuary of ethereal beauty’
A former ryokan inn, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto offers onsen rooms equipped with natural hot spring water, and a contemporary take on a Noh theatre
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
A minimalist teahouse makes a serene addition to a Tadao Ando-designed Kyoto hotel
Ogata at The Shinmonzen is a contemporary reinterpretation of a Japanese teahouse that sells traditional blends, confectionery, crafts and fragrances
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Tour the new Four Seasons Osaka, where time stands still
Set within a 49-storey tower, Four Seasons Osaka takes the traditional ryokan experience to new heights
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Aman Residences Tokyo float high above the Japanese capital
Aman Residences Tokyo, Aman Group’s first standalone branded residences, feature dramatic yet serene interiors by Yabu Pushelberg
By Dan Howarth Published