By Kal Bragg
Joint president of Niseko Alpine Developments [Nisade]
EVERY township has certain characteristics that make its buildscape unique. From Whistler, with its alpine stone and log structures, to Tyrol’s contrasting brown and white facades, each area is defined by building design and amenities.
Niseko is in the middle of finding its own identity right now. Being a very late riser as an international alpine destination, it lacks its own building style, public areas and landmark structures that make an area so instantly recognisable.
It has really only been in the past 14 months that we are seeing world-class buildings designed in the area. And it would be fair to say that the majority of properties built prior to this would be, at best, mediocre. For example, you could not find a new apartment with anything other than basic, resort-style living – there would be no Jacuzzi’s, extremely cheap fit-out and no lobbies or any of the items people have come to expect from an international alpine holiday home. Some of these older properties are now being re-sold on the market, with a lot struggling to compete against the newer buildings. The dynamism of building design in the past year has been incredible. Developers are spending much more on the design phase as competition grows and named architects become the norm, not the exception.
So, what does the future hold? Boundaries are being pushed on design right now. We just don’t have named architects working on buildings; Niseko has some of Japan’s top-tier designers from Nikken Sekkei to Tadao Ando and Klein Dytham, all working on buildings within the confines of the village. Mix the design with the high standard of developers having already bought into the area and Niseko’s future looks extremely bright.
The world has experienced the five-star beach resort boom, yet five-star ski resorts are just now taking off in comparison. For example, we are seeing the low-lying European regions switching from a pure ski outlook to mountain spa retreats in the aid of a retreating snowline.
In Niseko, rumours are flying about luxury resort companies Aman and Banyan Tree, with already high-scale resorts in the middle of planning at Kabayama (Above and Beyond Resorts), Higashiyama (Citigroup), Annupuri (Cappella) and Hanazono (Nihon Harmony). This is the direction of Niseko’s outer lying areas.
Everyone of these developments produces leading edge design and off-snow amenities, from ice rinks to huge outdoor thermal bathing areas.
Paralleling this resort-style accommodation is a raise in the bar of Niseko’s CSB (central skiing district), Hirafu properties. These range from Nisade’s Vale Niseko, with its personal onsens and ski-in-ski-out location, to the forever views of Hokkaido Tracks’ Escarpment development, producing some of most exclusive houses seen in Niseko yet.
Niseko’s future design incorporates use of ground heating (via drilling and heat exchanging), a boosting of non-ski, in-house building amenities for wider market appeal, shopping and retail (which are going into all new large Hirafu developments), and a much higher grade of building interiors and facades.
Niseko has had to mature extraordinary quickly to keep up with market demand. It will not be long until Niseko – in particular, Hirafu – will be seen as an ultra-modern ski destination with instantly recognisable landmark buildings. We will more than likely even surpass the older-style characteristics of established world ski areas.