A relaxing space made from varied materials ANA Suite Lounge and ANA Lounge at New Chitose Airport

People are talking about the series of ANA Lounges supervised by Kengo Kuma that have been opened at airports in various regions, including New Chitose, Itami, and Fukuoka. The common concept is “Once-in-a-lifetime encounters,” a phrase that expresses ANA’s desire to provide brand-new lounge spaces fusing traditional Japanese beauty with innovative qualities. The lounges at these airports share a common design vision, but each features materials and details reflecting the region’s characteristics.

The first of these lounges was remodeled and opened at New Chitose Airport in September 2017. When you step inside, the first thing you see is a large counter table with a “mountain” covered in moss. Mr. Toshiki Meijo of KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES said, “The request was to install seating where people can sit casually, even by themselves, so we suggested the idea of a large work table. It symbolizes the space, and we were talking about how to incorporate something that evokes the regionality. We determined an abstract representation of Hokkaido’s land and the hilly country near the airport.”

  The table top is made from Corian® Solid Surface White Onyx; Designed by: KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES; Photo by: Mr.Yoshihito Imaeda, all rights reserved.

The tabletop is made from Corian® Solid Surface in White Onyx. This white table with a transparent look creates a special atmosphere amongst the brown flooring and furniture. “We selected White Onyx because ANA wanted a high-grade feel with a slightly unique look, since the surface is so large. We were concerned that the seamless finish and large pattern would result in an unnatural look for the joint portions, but there was no issue with this at all,” said Mr. Meijo.

Corian® Solid Surface Hazelnuts is used for the sofa armrests, and Sierra Burnt Amber is used for the corner table, magazine rack, and countertops; Designed by: KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES; Photo by: Mr.Yoshihito Imaeda, all rights reserved.

Corian® Solid Surface is used for other parts of the lounge as well, including the concierge counter, the top of the counter attached to the east wall overlooking the runway, sofa armrests, magazine rack, and return counter. Mr. Meijo said, “Because the main counter table is so big, we needed a material that is suitably durable and that can be jointed on-site. The other parts also had to offer the functionality required by ANA and stand up to hard airport use, such as resisting cup ring marks, and being easy to clean and hard to scratch. Corian® Solid Surface was the best option.”

The lounge employs a wide variety of natural materials. The walls are covered with caster aralia’s wood boards from Hokkaido. The ceiling evokes an image of an aircraft wing flap with washi (traditional Japanese paper), and the wall baseboards and furniture risers have a bronze sulfide tarnished finish. The flow patterns and rock grains of Corian® Solid Surface naturally blend in with these materials, creating a cozy atmosphere that is suitable for a lounge space. When asked about using patterned Corian®, Mr. Meijo said, “A slight pattern is good for a natural atmosphere when trying to come up with sharp designs that aren’t overly minimal, something that matches with our recent design vision as well.”

 

More information about New Chitose Airport
Corian® Solid Surface Colour(s): White Onyx, Sorrel, Hazelnut, Sierra burnt amber
Project name: ANA Suite Lounge and ANA Lounge at New Chitose Airport
Applicatoin: tabletop, sofa armrests, concierge counter, magazine rack, return counter, ectc.
Design By: KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES
Fabrication: SHIMIZU CORPORATION.
Customer: ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD
Photographer: Mr.Yoshihito Imaeda

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