Iron Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2025
Charis Interior Space
- A' Design Award 2025 Iron Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Hiroki Takahashi Infinite Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 13,863
- Verification code E97A3D8F29 · Verify this award
About Charis Interior Space
The interplay of contrasting materials establishes a new aesthetic equilibrium. Metallic accents and glassware subtly reflect light, adding a touch of sparkle to the space. The coolness of natural stone or marble seamlessly blends with the hardness of metal, creating a sophisticated atmosphere. Kumiko, a traditional Japanese woodworking technique, intricately combines small pieces of wood to form beautiful patterns, casting shadows and adding depth and movement to the space. These materials harmoniously balance the aesthetic and leave an exciting impression on visitors.
Hiroki Takahashi's Charis Interior Space embodies the evolution of contemporary residential design toward environments that function simultaneously as comfortable domestic settings and as curated aesthetic experiences approaching the contemplative qualities traditionally associated with gallery spaces or refined hospitality venues. The design demonstrates technical sophistication in its integration of multiple material systems and lighting strategies within a coherent spatial narrative, the horizontal timber ceiling with its rhythmic linear progression representing a significant compositional achievement that establishes visual order while concealing functional systems and creating warm acoustic softness overhead, a solution that addresses both practical necessity and experiential quality. The chromatic orchestration reveals considerable refinement in balancing warm wood tones with cool stone neutrals, creating thermal contrast that enlivens the space while maintaining overall tonal harmony, the designer's selection of marble with particularly dramatic black veining transforming what might be a neutral base plane into an active compositional element that contributes visual energy and geological reference. The lighting design merits particular attention as it operates across multiple registers including functional ambient illumination through concealed linear sources, sculptural focal presence through the spherical chandelier composition, and experiential atmosphere through the careful calibration of warm color temperature that suggests both contemporary LED efficiency and the traditional warmth of incandescent sources, this layered approach enabling varied lighting scenarios from bright social illumination to intimate evening glow. Spatial planning demonstrates intelligence in creating multiple zones within a continuous volume, the arrangement of furniture defining a primary social gathering area while the bar counter establishes a secondary activity zone and the glazed perimeter offers transitional territory between full interior and exterior landscape, this spatial variety within openness suggesting influences from hospitality design where programmatic flexibility serves diverse user needs. The relationship between interior and exterior warrants recognition as the design neither fully dissolves boundaries through complete transparency nor maintains hermetic separation, instead proposing a calibrated threshold condition where visual connection coexists with environmental separation, inhabitants enjoying prospect of the terrace and landscape beyond while remaining sheltered by the protective ceiling plane and climate-controlled interior volume. Material expression throughout suggests a design philosophy honoring both natural characteristics and refined processing, the timber retaining visible grain and organic warmth while being finished to contemporary standards of uniformity, the marble maintaining geological drama while being cut and polished to reveal its decorative potential, the glass providing transparency while its framing and scale suggest technological achievement rather than material absence. The work invites consideration of how residential environments increasingly serve multiple experiential registers, functioning not merely as background settings for daily activities but as active contributors to quality of life through aesthetic richness, material sensory engagement, and spatial qualities that elevate routine domestic occupation toward something approaching curated experience, prompting viewers to contemplate the role of design sophistication in everyday environments and whether such refinement represents accessible luxury or aspirational achievement, the relationship between visual richness and comfortable habitability, and how contemporary residential design negotiates between display and intimacy, representation and lived experience, aesthetic statement and welcoming sanctuary.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Combining metal, stone and kumiko creates a beautiful harmony between natural and modern.
Metallic accents and glassware reflect subtle light and add a touch of sparkle to the space.
The coolness of natural stone or marble blends with the hardness of metal to create a sophisticated atmosphere.
Kumiko is a traditional Japanese woodworking technique that combines small pieces of wood to create beautiful patterns, cast shadows, and add movement and depth to a space. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The size of the building is 340.96m2 in total floor space, 14.5m in width, 13.6m in depth, and 8.2m in height.
- Tags
- Hiroki Takahashi, Infinite Design, Japan, Housing Design, Sukiya
- Production Technology
- An attempt to harmonize different cultures and materials. This design was inspired by the geometric patterns of nature and traditional Japanese beauty, and was simulated multiple times using CAD software in pursuit of visual harmony and functionality.
- Design Challenge
- Spatial design has developed uniquely around the world, based on the historical background and materials specific to each region. This work combines materials and crafts from different regions, such as Sicilian marble, Patagonian granite, and Japanese kumiko crafts. Combining these materials was a new endeavor, and an important task was to verify whether the aesthetic balance was harmonious.
- Project Duration
- The project is scheduled to commence construction in April 2023 and be completed in September 2024. The construction site is in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
- Operation Flow
- The interior space combines kumiko, marble, and metal to create a harmonious blend of modern sophistication and traditional Japanese beauty. The delicate woodwork symbolizes the beauty of nature and craftsmanship, giving the space warmth and depth. The marble floors and counters combine luxury and durability, while the clean, modern texture of the metal completes the overall look. These materials are in harmony with an aesthetic balance, leaving a deep impression on visitors.
- Research
- This project aims to provide new aesthetic value to the space by fusing different materials with modern design. As a result, materials and modern elements are in harmony, creating a sophisticated space. The effect of light reflection and shadows was confirmed to add movement and depth to the space, playing an important role in the design.
- Inspiration
- Stone and wood are natural materials, and their textures and colors bring warmth and calm to a space. On the other hand, metal gives a modern and cool impression. We realized that by combining these contrasting materials, a new aesthetic balance could be created.
Kumiko is a traditional Japanese craft technique, and its delicate design evokes history and culture.
Metal is durable and functional, stone offers luxury and natural beauty, and kumiko expresses precision and traditional beauty.
Colors of Charis Interior Space
Get Charis Interior Space
Japanese-Inspired Architectural Design
We create sophisticated spaces that harmoniously blend traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern materials. Our architectural approach fuses art and design, incorporating elements like kumiko woodwork alongside marble and metal to craft environments that transcend the senses and move the soul.
G0E23 ShopDesign Interview about Charis Interior Space
My design is founded on the concepts of infinity, poetic space, material essence, and resonance with time. A childhood experience in a white, curved space made me realize the potential of architecture to transcend emotion and memory, and connect with eternity. The dialogue between light and shadow, mathematical beauty, and the sacred nature of beauty are deeply woven into my design philosophy.
I placed importance on creating a moment where the fleeting beauty of an instant transforms into an eternal impression. I aimed to realize a poetic spatial structure that changes with time by meticulously designing the angle of light, the texture of materials, and the flow of sightlines.
Going forward, this design will be developed in various forms tailored to different site conditions and climates. I also plan to present it in exhibitions and dialogues both in Japan and internationally, creating opportunities to share philosophical architecture and connect with diverse perspectives on beauty.
The conceptual foundation was built over more than ten years of philosophical inquiry. It took approximately six months from the formulation of the design proposal to the realization of its form, grounded in years of contemplation and experimentation.
This design arose from my own inner exploration. It was not commissioned but rather emerged naturally from my contemplation of beauty and the infinite.
I will oversee the production myself, working with partners who resonate with my philosophy. To preserve the integrity of the concept, I do not offer unconditional sales or leases but emphasize collaborative relationships.
I have long been fascinated by the idea that architecture can deeply touch human emotion and evolve in meaning over time. I’ve always aspired to incorporate the relationship between ever-changing natural light and space into my work.
I was strongly influenced by the strict formal beauty of Mies van der Rohe, the poetics of light and shadow by Tadao Ando, and the philosophy of integration with nature by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Those who seek beauty in everyday life, who wish to experience space poetically, and who perceive architecture as a philosophical rather than merely physical entity.
It incorporates dynamic and poetic structures that integrate time, light, emotion, and divinity. The space itself poses ontological questions.
"INFINITE DESIGN" originates from a childhood memory of a space that felt infinite. It signifies a place where beauty and divinity, time and moments, light and materials intersect.
I used Vectorworks and Adobe tools, as well as sketches, models, and light simulations—blending analog and digital methods to develop the design.
The coexistence of sensibility and logic: the authentic expression of materials, the continuity of light and time, and the fusion of mathematical order with intuition.
I closely collaborated with structural designers, light simulation specialists, and artisans skilled in natural materials. Together, we transformed technique into poetry.
I used solar simulations based on sun angles and climate data, predictive tools for material aging, and acoustic simulations to refine spatial experience.
The design was based on quantitative data regarding solar paths, wind direction, humidity, and light reflectivity. I also drew inspiration from literature on architectural history, religious art, and quantum physics.
It was challenging to source and process materials that matched the conceptual texture, requiring many prototypes. Accurately reflecting the movement of light in the design also required repeated simulations.
I believed that this philosophy holds universal value beyond borders. I also wanted to sharpen my thinking through international dialogue and perspectives.
I reaffirmed that beauty is a question. Experiencing the harmony of intuition and logic and the changing nature of space over time deepened and solidified my aesthetic values.
I believe architecture is not merely the act of creating space—it is a vessel that gives meaning to life. I aim to create architecture that is poetic, spiritual, and carries a sense of eternity.
Grand Interview about Charis Interior Space
This harmony emerged through quiet listening rather than deliberate contrast. Each material—kumiko, metal, and stone—carries not only form, but memory and rhythm. Kumiko brought cultural depth and precision, while metal and stone offered clarity and permanence. Rather than fusing them, I allowed their qualities to resonate—subtly aligning their presence through proportion, light, and atmosphere. What emerged was not synthesis, but attunement. The materials did not compete; they conversed—each holding silence differently, each contributing to a shared emotional geography.
I am drawn to the moments when light is not constant, but in transition—when it slips across surfaces and reveals space through its absence. In Charis, the kumiko patterns became a quiet filter for this movement, shaping light into rhythm and shadow into memory. The metallic accents amplify this modulation—not to dazzle, but to reflect the changing nature of time itself. What inspired me was the potential for light to become a co-creator of emotion—subtle, temporal, and alive.
I approached these materials not as representatives of cultures, but as carriers of atmosphere and time. Sicilian marble held a quiet luminosity, Patagonian granite offered anchoring depth, and kumiko conveyed precision and memory. Rather than seeking harmony through similarity, I composed their differences as a kind of spatial rhythm—each material entering and exiting the narrative like distinct voices in a shared silence. Their cohesion lies not in blending, but in mutual resonance—held together by restraint, light, and the stillness that surrounds them.
Tension, when refined, invites perception. In Charis, the contrast between stone and metal is not confrontation—it is calibration. The coolness of stone slows the senses, while the metallic presence sharpens awareness. This duality heightens emotional presence, allowing visitors to feel texture, temperature, and silence more deeply. It is through such poised opposition that atmosphere gains depth. I believe contrast, when composed with care, becomes a vessel for resonance.
Charis proposes that future interiors need not choose between tradition and innovation. Instead, they can listen—to history, to material, to the temporality of experience. Traditional craftsmanship, like kumiko, holds the memory of hands and culture. Contemporary design, when quiet and precise, makes space for that memory to unfold. I envision a future where design becomes less about assertion and more about attunement—where interior space is not curated for impact, but composed to resonate over time.
Technology, for me, is a medium of refinement. In Charis, I used CAD and light simulation not to dominate, but to reveal—how kumiko patterns would filter morning light, how marble would absorb dusk. These tools allowed me to model silence, to trace the arc of shadow across stone. Far from replacing tradition, technology protected its subtlety—ensuring that each detail aligned with the emotional tone of the space. In this duality, intuition gains clarity, and tradition gains precision.
I approached the space as a continuous atmosphere rather than a sequence of rooms. The materials were not repeated mechanically, but introduced like themes in a composition—appearing, receding, and returning. I relied on modulation: soft shifts in light, gentle transitions in texture, calibrated thresholds. Kumiko acts as a visual cadence, while stone and metal hold the spatial tempo. The harmony is not in uniformity, but in a slow unfolding—where each part quietly belongs to the whole.
Kumiko is a geometry of light and air. In Charis, it became a living filter—allowing light to shift gently, to break and recompose. The shadows it casts are never fixed; they evolve with the day, echoing the impermanence embedded in traditional Japanese aesthetics. In a modern interior, kumiko adds not nostalgia, but temporality. It creates depth not through mass, but through rhythm—offering a space where stillness is not emptiness, but movement slowed into presence.
Time is an invisible material. The extended timeline allowed each detail to be shaped, not installed. Kumiko was crafted with seasonal patience; stone was selected and finished with time for touch and reflection. Charis was not built—it was cultivated. In a world often rushing toward completion, I believe this duration was essential to allow presence to mature. Every element, from joinery to shadow, was given time to find its right depth.
The materials were chosen not only for their initial expression, but for how they would record time. The marble will wear with gesture, the metal will gather touch, and the kumiko will shift as light seasons change. Their aging is not erosion—it is memory taking form. I believe a space becomes truly complete only after years of quiet transformation. In Charis, I hope that each surface becomes part of someone’s story—subtle, resonant, and enduring.— Hiroki Takahashi Architect of Spatial Resonance