Pharrell and Nigo design "surprising and entertaining" district in Tokyo

Producer Pharrell Williams and fashion designer Nigo are collaborating with Japanese hospitality brand Not A Hotel to design a commercial district in central Tokyo.

Set to open in 2027 in the yet-to-be-built Yurakucho Park, the Japa Valley Tokyo development will be a 10,000-square-metre art, retail and hospitality district that celebrates Japanese culture.

According to Not A Hotel, it draws on California's wine-producing Napa Valley, but instead replaces it with "Japan's tradition of sake brewing and honors the country's intricate cuisine and artisanal craftsmanship".

Japa Valley Tokyo is Nigo and Williams's first major design project since joining Not A Hotel as creative advisors earlier this year. Their design centres around a large-scale sculpture by New-York artist Kaws.

"The project marks the latest chapter in their partnership, one that extends into urban development by creating a district where culture and commerce intersect," Not A Hotel said.

"Nigo and I have always shared the same design language – centered in heart, creativity with meaning," added Williams. "Japa Valley is us bringing that language to life, turning it into space and shape for everyone to experience."

Japa Valley Tokyo is being developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Estate for the site in front of Tokyo's Yurakucho Station.

To accommodate Yurakucho Park, where the district will be located, a pair of 1960s buildings has been demolished. These are the Yurakucho Building and Shin-Yurakucho Building.

"This initiative with Mitsubishi Estate is not just a temporary use of the land; it aims to present a new approach to urban development that will inform future construction of new buildings and neighbourhood development by surprising and entertaining visitors," Not A Hotel said.

According to Not A Hotel, the district will include a selection of restaurants, cafes, saké bars, retail spaces and public art.

Early renders of the proposal reveal a series of wooden structures with arched glass openings and green roofs, arranged in a grid-like format across the park.

Paved walkways lined with shrubbery will connect the district's programmes.

Also in Japan, Not A Hotel recently collaborated with architect Sou Fujimoto to create a coastal holiday home with a sloping green roof on Ishigaki Island, and it is developing a sweeping holiday home in a ski resort on Hokkaido Island with architecture studio Snøhetta.

The renders are courtesy of Not A Hotel.

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