This Christmas, Omotesando Hills will be showcasing a Christmas illumination display with the theme of "Aurora Borealis Over the City." Using the entirety of the facility's signature grand staircase, a "curtain of light" made up of approximately 6,000 icicles will be displayed on the ceiling. In addition, a special performance will be held every 20 minutes, in which an aurora will be projected onto the "curtain of light," transporting visitors into a fantastical space.

The design was created by KEIKO+MANABU, a creative team based in Tokyo and Seattle whose concept is "designing everything from earrings to urban planning and space development." Inspired by the beauty of the winter sky in the north, they used an unusual material used as a bird repellent to create an open-ceiling space from an artistic and architectural perspective.

We spoke to the duo, who created this unique space by utilizing the beauty, interest, and artistic quality hidden in the materials, about their thoughts behind the creation.






FASHION HEADLINE (hereinafter FH): You two are based in Seattle and Tokyo. Why did you choose to become architects and designers?

KEIKO:I was born in the United States and spent my childhood traveling back and forth between the United States and Japan. I went to Alaska in high school, and I felt the language barrier at every opportunity. At the same time, I felt that spatial expression and making things were the best means of communication, allowing me to convey my thoughts using shapes. It was from this background that I decided to pursue a career in architectural design.

MANABU:My earliest memory is from April, when I had just turned two years old. My family and I went to see our house, which my uncle had designed, under construction. The construction site was like a jungle gym, and it was fun. We were running around excitedly, and just as we were about to head home, two or three steps were missing, and we couldn't get down. I vividly remember my father holding out his hands to me, as I was scared. My primordial memories are intertwined with architecture.


FH: What was the first image you had in mind when creating your work?

KEIKO:The large open staircase has different heights from the third basement floor to the third floor, so the illuminations can be seen from various positions. I consciously created the plan thinking about how I could make it enjoyable for everyone to see.

MANABU:We discussed how the northern countries are beautiful in winter. We both grew up in snowy regions, and in winter we are enveloped in a world of silvery white. When the sun comes out, the icicles melt and sparkle; that beauty is hard to see in Tokyo. We want to share it with others. That feeling is at the heart of this project.


FH: I heard that the design this time was inspired by the beauty of the northern winter sky.

KEIKO:There was a lake called Swan Lake near the house I lived in in Alaska. Our backyard connected to the lake, and I saw the aurora while playing with a friend in the neighborhood. It came down like a giant curtain, drifting across the sky while constantly changing shape, and I felt as if it was enveloping me. It is one of the most memorable scenes in my memory.

MANABU:There's a swan lake called "Takamatsu Pond" just a three-minute walk from my house in Morioka (laughs). Every winter, thousands of swans visit, and with the snow-capped Mt. Iwate in the background, powdery snow dances in the air, and your breath freezes. I imagined that snowy world.




FH: What was your biggest focus in creating a space with 6,000 sparkling icicles?

KEIKO:The fact that they keep swaying. The spiral bird repellent is designed to rotate when it catches the wind, but when you connect 12 70cm bird repellents, they are too heavy to turn. When we first tested them, they wouldn't turn at all, and the person in charge at Omotesando Hills looked at us and said, "This isn't good enough..." (laughs).

MANABU: Fishing line, water line, cable ties. I desperately tried to think of what to use to connect them so that they would rotate smoothly. I went to a hardware store and spent about half a day wandering around, then stopped by a fishing tackle shop... After much consideration, we decided to connect them with two pieces of water line, taking strength into consideration as well.


FH: You use motifs such as hearts and diamonds.

MANABU: These are motifs that I have often used in my work for the past 10 years or more. While interacting with people from other countries in various places, I sometimes feel loneliness and disconnection due to language. If there was a universal motif that people could share, I thought it would be possible to convey my feelings more directly. I believe it is a motif that can transcend nationality, age, gender, and everything else.





FH: I heard that you two also supervised the special light and sound productions that are performed every 20 minutes.

KEIKO:When composing the music, I requested an equal balance of male and female voices. I also asked that it be an addictive song.

MANABU:When we gave you a recording of the beautiful singing of the Tlingit people of Alaska, a unique melody was born. When you hum along, a mysterious exotic feeling wells up inside you. On the holy day of Christmas, we hope you will enjoy not only your eyes, but the entire space, including the lights and sounds, to your heart's content.


The rest of the interview is available on the Omotesando Hills website!
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