Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Company Illumination of City Environment
Lead Designers Masanobu Takeishi(ICE Inc), Rie Azuma(AZUMA ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES), Hiroki Hasegawa(Studio on site)
Client Hoshino Resorts Inc.
Photo Credits Photo No.1-6,8-11 Nacása & Partners Inc. /Photo No.7 Yoshida photo studio.
Completion Date July, 2020
Project Location Japan, Okinawa
Entry DescriptionThe Ryuku Kingdom with unique history and culture prospered in the islands of Okinawa from the early 14th century. The castles (gusuku) constructed by the Kingdom are registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is the basic image for this resort facility.
Lighting was planned to express the unique culture and location of Okinawa while also valuing the guests’ extraordinary experience of enjoying darkness. Coping with the harsh waterfront environment including salty wind, humidity, and sunlight, was a challenge. Inside the gusuku wall, low lights towards the guests’ feet are provided from low-rise poles and stands that are less exposed to winds and rain, and excessive light-up on vertical surfaces is avoided to secure the vision of guests looking up at the starry night sky.
Based on the construction plan letting in light from the open ocean side, a lighting environment was created to show different attractiveness for day and night, while also reducing the electricity used at night, with the lighting system allowing to set different scenes according to the time of day.
