Annupuri Land has released new details about the Capella Niseko Resort and Residences ahead of its official launch this month.
Ernest Tsang, managing partner of developer Annupuri Land, said Capella Niseko was created to ‘attract an international clientele who wants the same European standards of excellence found in ski resorts in Switzerland and France, but in a location that enjoys the serenity, natural environment and sumptuous food Japan is known for’.
“The area is beautiful and serene – the perfect place for a state-of-the-art resort where Asian and international travellers can enjoy a European-style holiday right here in the region,” said Mr Tsang.
Following its completion in 2010, Capella Niseko will offer a 70-room onsen hotel, a village center for activities, and 149 residences inspired by nature and constructed to exist with the stunning surroundings.
The resort itself is designed around two intersecting rings which open up onto a 360-degree view of the panorama, representing the ‘duality and diversity of nature’.
Japanese master architect and lead Capella Niseko designer Tadao Ando said Niseko’s ‘existing spectacular natural environment’ was the main inspiration for the design.
“The aim was to create architecture that would exist in perfect symbiosis with nature,” Ando said.
“I aimed to find this balance by bringing the natural elements into the design and by enhancing the natural elements through architecture.”
Natural materials like stone, concrete, glass and raw wood, combined with natural elements like light, fire, water and greenery aim to ‘create a peaceful ambiance that evokes traditional Japanese culture, architecture and – like the Capella brand’s hallmark – attention to personal experience and detail’.
Aside from Ando, other masterminds behind this new resort include Horst Schulze, CEO of Capella Hotels and Resorts, a man who is credited with founding the Ritz Carlton’s hospitality service standards; internationally renowned interior design consultant Peter Silling; famed architect and master planner Benjamin Wood; and award winning spa designer Sylvia Sepielli.
Capella said the resort and residences would ‘bring a truly splendid lifestyle experience to ski resort living with superb architecture and interior design that brings the calm and peaceful spirit of Japanese aesthetics to a ski resort with year-round appeal.’
Incorporating the natural surroundings into the property’s landscaping, the residences would appeal to those looking for a timeless, elite, all-season holiday homes such as those found in exclusive regions in certain parts of North America and Europe.
The 149 Capella Residences will be made up of 94 apartments of 1,000 to 2,000 square feet with large outdoor spaces, modern laundry facilities, a gourmet kitchen and dry storage rooms for ski and equipment; 36 houses of 2,000 to 3,000 square feet laid out on several levels with varying numbers of bedrooms and configurations, all featuring fireplaces and private onsens; and 19 unique villas constructed as fully detached units, built to specification on two or three storeys and each boasting nearly 5,000 square feet of luxury living, with ‘all imaginable fittings suitable for the Capella brand’.
Capella Niseko will also cater for families with a kids club where parents can drop their children off for age-appropriate lessons and activities like ski lessons, judo, pottery, origami and other activities.
For teens, there will be a mocktail bar with entertainment options like a pool table, video games, a large TV and a teens-only area.
For adults leisure activities will include Japanese indoor hot springs, swimming pools, martial arts lessons, special rooms for traditional massage therapies, as well as fine dining restaurants, bars and après-ski lounges, and a variety of upscale retail options.
Jones Lang LaSalle has been appointed by Annupuri Land to handle the marketing of the property.