Aura

Client: Iconic Group Location: Niseko, Japan Project Status: On Site Area: 4,200 sqm Visuals: Draw a Half-Circle


Fourfoursixsix were engaged by Hong Kong based Developer Iconic Group to design their first Japanese project. Niseko is a growing ski destination with a shortage of high-quality hotel and residential accommodation.

Aura is a residential hotel, providing owners with hotel service standards alongside the option of managed rental. The design reflects this brief, ensuring key services are delivered without the excessive requirements of a full-service hotel. Core amenities are ski-focused, with heated boot and locker room, and separate wet and dry entrances.

The façade design both celebrates the local contractors’ skill-set with in-situ concrete construction, whilst also taking advantage of the material’s functionality in such a harsh climate, providing an easily maintained and robust solution.

Internally, a simple and elegant material palette emphasises the building’s sense of space, whilst respecting the Japanese minimalist aesthetic.