Ginza Niigata Information Center THE NIIGATA

Ginza Niigata Information Center THE NIIGATA is Niigata Prefecture's information hub for the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The facility spans five floors, from the basement to the third and eighth floors, and is equipped with a variety of functions, including retail, a sake tasting corner, event space, a restaurant, and an immigration consultation desk. We were responsible for the design construction of the first basement floor to the third floor, as well as the facility branding plan and brand logo development.

In addition to the rich attractions of Niigata, such as rice, sake, and snow, the project was planned with art at the core of its planning and concept design.
Through materials and displays featuring Niigata origins scattered throughout the facility, we aimed to create a facility that would allow visitors to experience the charm of Niigata and serve as an opportunity for them to visit the city.

① concept design should evoke Niigata Prefecture's strengths: rice, snow, sake, and art.
②The concept design should convey the appeal of Niigata Prefecture's materials and traditional crafts.
3) To provide a function that can promote the local specialty, sake, in an attractive way.
These were the main requests from our customers.

①The theme of the facility was to create a base that would promote the attractions of each area of the prefecture, adding the new element of "art" to Niigata's traditional strengths such as "rice," "sake," and "snow." In addition to the interiors concept design, we developed a facility brand logo and a visual motif that appeals to the diverse charms of the region. We deployed visual concept design in all aspects, including spatial concept design, guide signs, tool items, and information dissemination, in order to unify the worldview of the entire facility and expand opportunities to promote its attractions.

②The floor was finished with gravel from the river that flows through Niigata Prefecture, and the fixtures for displaying products were made from cedar wood from Niigata Prefecture. Materials from Niigata were used mainly in areas that people touch, creating a value that can only be felt in a real space. In addition to interiors materials, the counter table for sake tastings was made as upcycled fixtures using recycled materials discarded when a company in Niigata Prefecture makes products.
Additionally, we have planned a museum space on the wall of the first floor to introduce Niigata's craftsmanship. By displays carpentry tools actually used by craftsmen and providing online commentary, we hope to provide an opportunity to learn about crafts and convey the appeal of Niigata's unique craftsmanship.

3) We designed our own sake tasting machine and refrigerated case to beautifully display the sake bottles, highlighting the characteristics of each brewery.The tasting machine is equipped with an ICT-linked function, which allows for sales planning based on data analysis and information exchange with each brewery.