MIXX Bar & Lounge, ANA Intercontinental Tokyo
(Photo: Nacasa & Partners)
Project
MIXX Bar & Lounge, ANA Intercontinental Tokyo
MIXX Bar & Lounge, ANA Intercontinental Tokyo
Tokyo / Japan, 2010
Description
The space fuses traditional craftsmanship and Japanese art with modern design to create an invisible connection with the nation’s rich cultural heritage. The overall effect? One of softness, designed to highlight and enhance the sharp digital portrait of modern Tokyo that unfolds through the windows.
The entrance is marked by a “gate of light”: a wall of floating white fabric sculptures reflected through a play of mirrors, their delicacy balanced against the dynamism of the lighting.
Covering the floors is a uniquely designed carpet whose hues and patterns evoke the natural outdoor moss formations of a traditional Japanese garden.
The first of three areas is an open bar space – complete with a randomly placed high counter, a warm and sociable spot for friends and dates meeting for cocktails or pre-dinner aperitifs before visiting the Pierre Gagnaire restaurant on the same floor.
Next is the main bar area. A signature 10 metre long counter sets a bold tone, taking centre stage against a backdrop of windows that reveal Mount Fuji by day and Tokyo’s digital light show by night.
Finally, there is the lounge. A white artwork of fabric hovering in the dark marks entrance, leading to a central table and more intimate sofas tucked snugly into the zig-zag line of windows that surround the space. Cocooned by a series of vertical lights, the lighting dynamically cuts through the atmospheric dark space.
The space fuses traditional craftsmanship and Japanese art with modern design to create an invisible connection with the nation’s rich cultural heritage. The overall effect? One of softness, designed to highlight and enhance the sharp digital portrait of modern Tokyo that unfolds through the windows.
The entrance is marked by a “gate of light”: a wall of floating white fabric sculptures reflected through a play of mirrors, their delicacy balanced against the dynamism of the lighting.
Covering the floors is a uniquely designed carpet whose hues and patterns evoke the natural outdoor moss formations of a traditional Japanese garden.
The first of three areas is an open bar space – complete with a randomly placed high counter, a warm and sociable spot for friends and dates meeting for cocktails or pre-dinner aperitifs before visiting the Pierre Gagnaire restaurant on the same floor.
Next is the main bar area. A signature 10 metre long counter sets a bold tone, taking centre stage against a backdrop of windows that reveal Mount Fuji by day and Tokyo’s digital light show by night.
Finally, there is the lounge. A white artwork of fabric hovering in the dark marks entrance, leading to a central table and more intimate sofas tucked snugly into the zig-zag line of windows that surround the space. Cocooned by a series of vertical lights, the lighting dynamically cuts through the atmospheric dark space.