Hasta La Gadget!

One of Japan’s leading and globally renowned, award winning architects, Kengo Kuma has designed a new Starbucks store that will open in the Southern Japanese city of Fukuoka. The store is currently under construction but is due to open in mid December.

Fashionsnap report that the deisgn is made up of a traditional timber framed structure with the facade of the building protruding out at different angles, similar to a tree’s branches. “A fusion of the traditional and contemporary and made up of natural materials” is how Kuma describes the approach to the design that looks like it will lend itself to the natural surroundings of the stores location in Dazaifu Shrine.

Kuma continues to be one of the leading architects in Japan right now and has won a number of awards in the last 5 years. The recently refurbished Nezu Museum and the LVMH Japan headquarters at Omotesando ONE amongst his striking designs. Since march this year he has also been involved with an architects group “Kishin no Kai” featuring Ito Toyo, Riken Yamamoto, Naito Hiroshi and Kazuyo Seijima from Sanaa, who are helping design plans to help rebuild the disaster stricken area.

Left Photo courtesy @asagao_itsuka

Starbucks have been making some interesting moves in Japan in it’s 15th anniversary year. Just earlier in March the brand opened up their Starbucks B-Side which was designed by the legendary Hiroshi Fujiwara, the “Godfather of Harajuku” and a hugely influential figure from Tokyo’s subculture. The collaborations with such interesting names as Kuma and Fujiwara show how Starbucks continues to deepen it’s roots in Japan and align itself as a modern and contemporary brand.

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