United Cinemas Urawa Cinema complex by Kunihisa Akiyama

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

KA : Cinema as a sophisticated place like Museums and Airports, especially Los Angels International Airport.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

KA : I focused on visualizing the relationship among vertical space, or multi-layered space using voids. Also I tried to make this space highly minimal that was unlike in cinema.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

KA : under consideration

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

KA : Pursuing for new cinema like museums or airports as a space highly sophisticated.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

KA : museum, airport

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

KA : Los Angels International Airport

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

KA : Not particular. Everyone uses there.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

KA : Cinema as a minimal and intellectual space focused in culture, fashion and learning, which abandoned garish decorations.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

KA : Company name.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

KA : Vectorworks as CAD

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

KA : Entertainment space in achromatic color.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

KA : Interior Design: Ichiro Katami, Graphic and Sign Design: Naoyuki Suzuki, Book Select: Yataro Matsuura, Cafe Adviser: Sadahiro Nakamura, Architect: Kenichi Miyake and Art Direction: Kunihisa Akiyama

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

KA : Projectors, as technology, used to placed in backyard and guests has no chance to see them. In this cinema, we dare to show them working and made them entertainment device. Also, the digital guidance board for screen numbers at entrance gate looks retro but it was used large LED panel

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

KA : The lobby size had decide on survey for expected visitors. Lighting planing has based on illuminance survey. Toughness of carpet has been determined.

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

KA : It was challenging to make entertainment space with achromatic color and make it minimal.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

KA : To know how this design be evaluated in the world and my client hopes that too.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

KA : It was good opportunity of designing large space and learn a lot about public safety.

DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?

KA : Regrettably, the designer Mr. Katami has passed away in 2015. All comments here are written by the project director who worked with him for long time.