BIG has released sneak peek images into their “Not A Hotel Setouchi” project in Japan. The scheme draws inspiration from the surrounding beauty and Japanese landscape artworks, situated in the southwest cape of Sagi Island, overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. Consisting of three distinct holiday villas, Not A Hotel aims to blend Japanese and Danish architectural influences.
The three holiday homes are organized around a courtyard and adorned with tiled roofs. The images released by BIG highlight the integration of each villa into the lush context, connected by a network of roads through the landscape. Each home features textured walls, expansive glass facades, an infinity pool on a patio facing the Seto Inland Sea, spacious bedrooms with panoramic views, and large roof overhangs.
Traditional Danish modern architecture is, in fact, very informed by traditional Japanese architecture. –Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG
In 2022, Sou Fujimoto unveiled “Not a Hotel Ishigaki,” a new project on Ishigaki Island. The resort hotel is also integrated into the landscape, featuring an undulating roof covered in vegetation. The experimental project begins with a request to design a new, more mobile, location-independent way of living. Set up on a time-share basis, “owners” of these homes “have homes all over the world.”
Last month, BIG unveiled “Gelephu,” a masterplan envisioned for a new economic center in Bhutan, centered around Gross National Happiness. Interestingly, the scheme is adhering to the sustainable standards of the world's first official carbon-negative country, Bhutan. The studio also recently unveiled the new stage design for the world tour of WhoMadeWho, a Danish band. Finally, a new set of images was released last week from BIG, showcasing their long-awaited Kaktus Towers nearing completion in central Copenhagen.
