The Former Foreign Settlement Connecting Stylistic Beauty and Evolving into a New Phase Daimaru Kobe Store

Daimaru Kobe Store, which has been developing peripheral stores utilizing the beautiful streetscape and architecture of the Old Foreign Settlement since 1987, is now implementing new initiatives to make the town a “cultural hub” in addition to its previous promotion efforts utilizing the streetscape.

In an effort focused on transforming the value of the place, the store has teamed up with “SKWAT,” which is now attracting worldwide attention, to add new value to the Old Settlement area and develop a public space where visitors can feel the history of the area.

Now is the time when change is being questioned after the Corona disaster, and we propose a way of being as a “New Settlement” where the town opens up again with the “Old Settlement” at its center. As one of the proposals, we focus on the idle space until new tenants move in after the stores leave, and use the technique of installation to create a shift in the value of the space.

The installation is not merely an art exhibition for viewing, but a public space where anyone can come into contact with the history of the area and relax. When a new tenant is decided, the LGS will be used as a storage space for interior materials. When a new tenant is selected, the LGS will be transferred to the next tenant as a conventional base.

SKWAT” is a movement to temporarily occupy idle facilities in the city and release them to the public, and was launched in 2019 under the leadership of Keisuke Nakamura of the design firm DAIKEI MILLS. It is engaged in placemaking and transmission activities, expanding its scope not only to physical spaces but also to online and public airwaves. Their methods vary from exhibitions, publications, and product sales, but they all focus on the transformation of value arising from imperfection. So far, the project has been held in Harajuku, Minami-Aoyama, Kyoto, Milan, and other locations, and has attracted a great deal of attention.

<A word from the reporter>
This is a new initiative between Daimaru and SKWAT, a company with strong outgoing power. Kobe is a city that values traditional beauty while continuing to evolve in a flexible manner.

Details

Location

Daimaru Kobe
(40 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe)
Find it on GoogleMaps

TEL

078-331-8121

• Daimaru Kobe Store Official Website https://www.daimaru.co.jp/kobe/