STAR

1000-meter-high mountaintop cafe with hoarfrost and spectacular views

The park was planned as a new tourist spot in southern Hokkaido in response to a request from the local government, which wanted another tourist base in Hakodate, famous for its sparkling night scenery. Hakodate Nanae Snow Park is famous for its 3319-meter gondola, one of the longest in Japan, and its 4-km long run. The café was designed as a special location at the top of the mountain, accessible by gondola, so that visitors can enjoy not only the fun of skiing, but also spend a special time in the wonderful scenery, regardless of the season.

Although the café is small, its location at an altitude of 1,000 meters and the short construction period made it a difficult project. Initially, a helicopter was planned to transport materials to the site, but in the end, a route was set up using a carrier dump truck with a caterpillar to reach the construction site within the time required for the concrete to cure, and at a slope that could be climbed. The construction had to be completed as soon as possible because snow would make it impossible to unload the construction equipment. Since rainfall would make it impossible for the carrier dump trucks to climb for several days, the construction plan was rearranged each time and gondolas were used to transport materials and personnel, and with the cooperation of the construction company, construction was completed in a short period of four months.

Architecture: teamSTAR ®︎
Creative Director/Architect Eitaro Satake (STAR)
Main Architect Shinichiro Yamada (Yamada Studio)