Japanese-born, Sydney-based architect Koichi Takada’s organic style is dazzlingly sculptural yet down to earth, in the truest sense. His upcoming mixed-use residential building in Brisbane, aptly titled Urban Forest, will surely be one of the world’s greenest, with a “living facade”, recycled stone materials, and the lushness of 550 trees and more than 25,000 plants selected from native species, all irrigated by rainwater. The recently completed 33-storey Upper House high-rise in Brisbane features a twisting tower of “steam bent” Siberian larch timber. An inveterate traveller, he has created projects in metropolises as disparate as Tokyo, Shanghai and Doha, his flowing eco-aesthetic standing out in streetscapes of relentless rectangles and uniformity.
Where did you grow up?
In Hino, Shiga prefecture, next to the Tama River, which I like to describe as being upstream from Tokyo. I was a child of the forest and mountain, fishing and catching Japanese beetles in a beautiful landscape of rice fields crossed by water canals. Such a childhood had a profound influence, teaching me to respect the power of nature.
A mountain top is a magical playground where you can also slip and injure yourself; the river gives the bounty of fish, but you can fall in; nature’s life-giving glory comes with the destruction of earthquakes. I remember the time the river rose on the eve of a typhoon and our house almost flooded, which would have been a disaster for our family. They call my generation the last children of the woods. I would wake up just before earthquakes, instinctively knowing they were coming. When you play in nature every day you become connected; nature becomes your friend.
What has influenced your design ethos?
Architecture is actually a very western idea. In Japan, our tradition is low-rise, handcrafted carpentry. I went to learn in the West and studied in London and New York. I almost gave up in my fourth year; I felt alienated by the concrete, steel and paved industrialised environment. I then discovered NYC’s Central Park, which became my breathing space. The park is man-made, so I had an epiphany and realised that you can create artificial, transformative environments that are emotionally elevating. I decided to pursue an aesthetic that works in sympathy with natural beauty. In Japan this is known as ikigai, which means dedicating oneself to your lifetime purpose, with all your heart and soul.
Where to go in Tokyo
Japan celebrates four distinct seasons. At the beginning of the New Year, my family would visit Takaosan (Mount Takao) to see the first sunrise and pray at the shrine for health and prosperity. This sacred space is at the end of the Chuo railway line, 50 minutes from metropolitan Tokyo. Visitors can take a cable car to the mountain top to experience the shrine, hike and look around. For mid-city spaces, Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills is an amazing neighbourhood with a “modern urban village” concept. It’s a visionary project where laneways combine retail, living and workspace in lush greenery and the original topography.
Where and what to eat in Japan
Friends meet at their favourite izakaya for sake, beer and small plates, often in a basement or on a building’s second storey. Japan has a very composed culture, but izakaya are where we let loose. Shabu shabu is family and friends gathering around a hot pot to share a meal. Thinly sliced beef or pork simmers in a soup, with a soy or sesame-based sauce. Omakase is the purest form of sushi dining, each dish complementary, as the chef slices fish of exquisite quality in front of you. For breakfast, locals love natto – fermented soybeans on rice, with hot karashi mustard. It’s our Vegemite. Try Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu, an inn-like restaurant from a bygone era for fresh soba noodles.
My favourite hotels
The 70ha sacred forest surrounding the Meiji Shrine near Harajuku Station is a “man-made” oasis, with hundreds of varieties of trees. Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is popular here, and Kengo Kuma has designed the harmonious Meiji Jingu Museum, adjacent to the main shrine. For ultimate rest and relaxation, Hoshinoya Tokyo is like a vertical ryokan, honouring the style of a traditional Japanese inn, with just six guestrooms on each floor. There are a tearoom, tatami mats and onsen bathing, but the building is stacked high, for a contemporary twist. Hoshinoya Tokyo ranked No 39 in 2023 World’s Best 50 Hotels awards.
Interior view of the National Museum of Qatar
Why you should get off the plane in Doha
Qatar’s capital on the Persian Gulf is one of the world’s best stopovers. Architect Jean Nouvel created the National Museum of Qatar and my architectural practice was honoured to design several of its interior spaces. We teamed up with celebrity chef Alain Ducasse to create his restaurant Jiwan, which offers an extraordinary fusion of Qatari and French cuisine. We also designed the museum’s gift shop (pictured), which showcases local culture through art, books, jewellery and decor, and Desert Rose Cafe, where visitors can sample a variety of teas and gahwa (Arabic coffee) and distinctive flavours such as clove, cardamom and dried lime, all celebrated by local chef Noof Al Marri. I stay at Ritz-Carlton’s Sharq Village & Spa Hotel, which has lots of cooling marble and an opulent, traditional feel.
What I take on board
I fly light with a TUMI carry-on backpack and luggage combination. You can fold suits in the top section, keeping it tidy for business meetings. I usually pack in monochrome, taking one black and one white of everything: T-shirt, jacket, pants, sneakers. This allows me to achieve simple combinations for any occasion or season. On one trip I can be dressed for a Sydney summer, crisp London winter and scorching desert heat, so I need to alternate black for the cold and white for warm temperatures.
On the road
I travel each year to Italy and Japan for family holidays, so I shop there too. I am drawn to Japanese fashion brand 45 rpm and to Armani in Italy. Swiss athletic shoe brand ON has collaborated with Loewe to make fashionable shoes that are comfortable for travel. Also, I only stay in hotels with open windows so I can breathe fresh air and always carry a wooden object. It could be as simple as a pencil but I want to connect with nature in some small way through natural materials, which you often don’t find in hotels. Whenever I do a presentation, I still touch wood.
