Nozawa Onsen Distillery
DESIGN
Nozawa Onsen, Japan
Located in the northern region of Japan, Nozawa Onsen is a hot spring and ski resort village near Nagano. A vision was brought to the tables of Warrane to transform an old cannery business into a Japanese spirit distillery that would not only be a functional production house, yet an onsite experience for those visiting the famous ski village.
Warrane were engaged by David Elsworth from Nozawa Onsen Distillery to be the lead designer and consultant. Our role was to assist with the vision concept to transform the idea into a practical, workable solution that would be endorsed by the locals, along with being a key experience for tourists.
“We believe that simple, natural, locally procured food and drink is the ultimate expression of a place and moment in time.” – David Elsworth
Within Nozawa, many of the buildings are traditional Japanese designs which add to the cultural experience when visiting. Due to COVID travel restrictions, unfortunately Warrane were unable to visit onsite. Photos of the local architectures and area were given to the design team, along with a colour palette idea for the initial designs. It was imperative for the designs to be kept in line with the heritage of the existing building and original cannery, along with embracing elements of the traditional Japanese architecture and surrounding landscapes.
To kick-off the design process, one of the photos that resonated with the team was of an empty chair lift. The sun was beaming through the clouds displaying a reference to the land with the colour yellow dispersing throughout. Yellow became a key anchor colour through the design process.
The Warrane design team embraced the logo and bottle designed by the Distillery and explored ideas on how to subtly complement this imagery throughout the area. One way this was done was utilising the logo on the front door entrance, creating a sleek and modern timber entry way.
We are proud to have been the lead designers and consultants of this international project. A local architect and builder have been engaged to undertake the next steps of this project and we are looking forward to phase two of this development.