The owner of this shop operates various hair salons in the Kansai area, so for this particular project I wanted to create a unique identity to make it stand out from the rest.He is also very knowledgeable on Bali and its culture, so I wanted to bring that kind of distinctive ambiance to the design.By really focusing on the tectonic and atmospheric elements of the shop, I opted for a design approach that differs from typical hair salon design.

The owner wanted to offer his clients an authentic Bali experience - furniture, materials, staff, etc - so he, the builder, and I made a trip to Indonesia.For five days, we shopped around roadside shacks looking at inexpensive materials like brick, stone, and terrazzo.The prices were almost 1/10 what they would have been in Japan.I believe it is possible to use a small budget creatively and find some truly interesting things.As well as meeting with some local craftsmen, we brought back a large container of materials to be used for the shop interior.

Making contact with the workers in Bali proved very useful, as they were contracted to build the rotating vanities and sliding louvers along the glazed south wall.Even though I knew that their technology and technique is less than perfect, I felt this would be far more authentic.By freeing the design from formal decorative workmanship, the craftsmen’s efforts and feelings are drawn out and expressed in their work.

Concerning spatial possibilities, I think that using a hybrid method - where materials, technology, and function are flexible - works well with the design.But perhaps the most important hybrid element is cultural.I wanted to bring the feelings, textures, and impressions of Bali to the Japanese visitor of the salon and promote an interactive relationship with the design.

Sｈoten Kenchiku　May’04