Founding A Bathing Ape. Billionaire Boys Club. Making the Teriyaky Boyz famous. HUMAN MADE. Creative director at KENZO: Living Streetwear legend and designer NIGO has done it all (and much more). Never one to shy away from side quests, his most recent endeavor is an insane mindblowing luxury guesthouse in a cliff top near Futtsu, Chiba. And you have to see it.
First things first though: The house, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows, actually hasn’t been built yet – but will be this fall under NIGO’s creative direction. Based on the digital renders released so far, the guesthouse looks more than promising though. And that’s the biggest understatement you’ll read today:
A giant ‘Companion’ astronaut sculpture by none other than KAWS towers over the house and greets visitors upon arrival and shares their view over the sea. The juxtaposition of KAWS’ neo pop-art aesthetic with the guest house’s minimalist architecture sets the tone for the entire property, which is as much a place of artistic exhibition as it is a place of residence:
Basically a liveable art gallery, uber-nerd NIGO’s attention to detail is ubiquitous on the interiors: The house is adorned with art pieces, vintage furniture from NIGO’s favorite designers Jean Prouvé and Pierre Jeanneret. Oh, and a huge pool floatie in the form a familiar-looking duck, the logo of NIGO’S label HUMAN MADE.
Japanese influence in the form of a wooden bath, a traditional tea room, and sleeping pods similar to those in NIGO’s own vacation home blend in with the minimalist aesthetic of clean lines and a neutral color palette which leave enough spotlight on the featured art – even though one might argue that the furniture and architecture are just that themselves.
As the case with all locations by NOT A HOTEL, the Japanese hospitality brand in charge of the project, a timeshare concept obliges that the house will be sold to a total of 12 people, who can rent it for 30 days a year. As the shareholders will be able to rent out the house too, there’s hope for ordinary mortals to maybe step foot in the dream piece one day (fingers crossed). Until then, just watching the digital round tour is kind of satisfying too though:
