Niseko Ski Resort Village

Niseko Ski Resort Village

A sustainable resort for a prestigious client, with architecture, planning and its landscape environment so integrated as to be indivisible, the Niseko Ski Resort masterplan is carefully integrated with the beauty of its mountain context and the un-spoilt character of the Niseko area. Road works are kept to a minimum, and buildings are terraced and shaped to flow with the natural contours of the vast site, minimizing environmental impact and cost. Pathways, promenades and “Walks” are carefully orchestrated and programmed to link every part of the resort, enabling individual internal resort communities and residential neighborhoods their own character and identity while at one with the whole. This armature of pedestrian routes also provides residents with easy access to hotel and resort facilities, services and amenities.

South Village, the key focus of the master plan, anchors the south east corner, and is characterized by a tight cluster of buildings in an orthogonal pattern of pedestrian-only streets and squares. The village open spaces are purposefully compressed to provide an exciting and vibrant urban spirit, reminiscent of European resort towns as well as traditional Japanese villages. The planning and architectural form of the village stands in direct contrast to the prosaic, organic character of the adjacent West Zone residential community, included in the general master plan, and spread thinly across the forested landscape while exploiting views to Mt. Yotei wherever possible. The natural topography of the West Zone area reveals a series of distinct hilltops and high plateaus, separated by narrow valleys and streams.

The West Zone area includes a terraced 5-star hotel, located on the most prominent hill, with 180 degree views of the Village, ski slopes, Mt. Yotei and beyond. Connected to the hotel by a winding, activity-rich promenade called “Mountain Walk” are slope-side hotel-serviced apartment buildings and mountainside restaurants and event spaces, as well as a ryokan and Country Club. Around the perimeter of the West Zone communities runs the “Forest Circuit”, a winding promenade with pedestrian overpass is the “Village Trail” which leads to South Village. The trails are a vehicle-free armature for summer pedestrian and bicycle access and winter ski-in / ski-out routes which link each neighborhood into the whole resort system.