At Family in Kurashiki

“Generally speaking, shopping malls look more or less the same throughout the country. Furthermore, shopping malls are often thought of as the opposite of the local shopping streets that were originally there. Therefore, we made it our first priority to incorporate Kurashiki’s regional characteristics into our art direction for the mall. We designed the dining area to be comfortable for families first and foremost, as they use shopping malls more than anyone else. We kept mothers with children in mind especially, by providing a kids’ play area and a raised tatami-floored seating area. Additionally, we used materials produced by four leading companies in Kurashiki even in the fine details, in hopes that it will be loved by the local people. To be more specific, the fabric for hemming tatami edges is from Takata Orimono, the canvas used for the sign is from Takeyari, the denim used for the walls and patchwork is from Showa, and the denim for the miniature jeans ornaments displayed in the atrium is from graphzero. This denim blue-colored space not only allows the citizens to bask in Kurashiki-ness just by spending some time there, but also serves as an iconic spot of Ario Kurashiki. We also hope to create a new standard for the spatial design of eating areas of shopping malls.”