snow peak landstation by kengo kuma & associates reflects hakuba's mountain peaks

kengo kuma and associates (KKAA) has completed a building in japan’s nagano prefecture that integrates a store, a restaurant, and a range of outdoor activities. designed for snow peak, an outdoor lifestyle brand, the ‘landstation’ aims to catalyze the economic development of hakuba — a village in the japanese alps that hosted the 1998 winter olympics. the project follows a mobile home that kengo kuma designed for snow peak in 2016.

image © IT imaging (also main image)

KKAA says that the large roof of snow peak’s ‘landstation’ reflects the silhouette of hakuba’s three mountain peaks. meanwhile, the distinctive wooden framework was designed based on an image of tree branches and snow crystals. internally, the space is divided into sections using the same type of fabric that is used for tarps, while the timber elements continue inside the building to give visitors the feeling of being on an outdoor excursion. in the grounds of the building, wooden trailer houses allow visitors to camp on site.

image © IT imaging

image © IT imaging

image © katsu tanaka

image © katsu tanaka

image © katsu tanaka

image © katsu tanaka 

image © IT imaging

image © IT imaging

image © katsu tanaka

image © katsu tanaka

project info:

name: snow peak landstation hakuba
location: nagano, japan
KKAA project team: tomoyuki hasegawa, genichi umekawa, hiroyo yamamoto
construction design: shimizu corporation
completed: april, 2020
type: commercial — retail, restaurant, and outdoor activities
area: 972.52 sqm / 10,468.12 sqf
photography: IT imaging and katsu tanaka