Benoit Niant Ginza

This is "Benoit Nihant Ginza," a project by Kaneka Corporation.
This store is the first flagship store in Japan for "Benoît Nihant," a chocolate brand launched in 2005 by Belgian cocoa craftsman Benoît Nihant, who has a background as a former engineer. It serves as a place to acquire new fans in Japan and also functions as a brand communication base for Kaneka.
Benoît Nihann is known for its single-origin chocolates, using cacao from a single farm and a single variety, and handles everything from roasting to finished product in his own workshop. The spirit and philosophy of "CRAFTSMANSHIP," born from his desire to be a "cacao craftsman" before being a chocolatier, is reflected in the shop concept design. concept design elements were extracted from the scenery of his Belgian workshop, incorporating colors and textures such as the blue of the conching machine and the bronze of the scales as concept design elements, and a new brand key color was established for Japan.
Furthermore, by incorporating Kaneka's "Kaneka Organic EL Lighting (Kaneka OLED Lighting)" into the store's lighting, we added a showroom function to the space. Kaneka OLED Lighting is characterized by its soft, surface-emitting light and its ability to minimize shadows cast by objects.
I concept design a space that serves two purposes: a chocolate shop and a lighting showroom.

- To create an original concept design for the first flagship store in Japan.
- To create a place that embodies Benoit Nihann's philosophy and passion for chocolate making, and serves as a hub for disseminating information.
- Increase customer touchpoints and acquire new fans.
These were some of the challenges we faced.

Additionally, there was a request that the space function not only as a Benoit Niant store, but also as a showroom for Kaneka OLED lighting.

Based on Benoit Nihant's philosophy of "Craftsmanship," the store's worldview was constructed using elements extracted from his Belgian atelier. In Ginza, where many famous chocolatiers are located, the store differentiates itself from competitors and creates a distinctive Benoit Nihant style by incorporating concept design elements and materials based on the concept and expressing the brand's worldview.
To incorporate Kaneka OLED lighting into the showroom function, the first floor uses LEDs for direct lighting and Kaneka OLED lighting for indirect lighting that creates soft shadows. The entire basement floor is equipped with Kaneka OLED lighting, creating a space with soft, floating light that emits light from all surfaces, allowing visitors to experience a feeling closer to natural light streaming in from a skylight, something that LEDs cannot replicate.
With an eye on Benoit Nihant's future store expansion in Japan, we created an original concept design that will form the core of the brand, and furthermore, we concept design a space that utilizes the unique characteristics of Kaneka OLED lighting, creating a place where customers can experience the light and appreciate the appeal of the products.