furuya design tucks its egg-shaped gondola house in the highlands of nagano

gondola house by furuya design

Japanese practice Furuya Design completes the Gondola House in the Nozawa Onsen Village of Nagano. Known for its snowy landscape and hot springs, the village has evolved into a popular spot among tourists and is home to the Nozawa Onsen Lodge designed by architect Takamasa Yoshisaka in 1969. Responding to the high touristic demands, the town has set in motion an expansion plan to accommodate more people, which pushed Furuya Design to build adjacent to the lodge, using reinforced concrete and wood, without the need to overshadow the existing structure’s symbolic presence. 

egg-shaped design echoing Takamasa Yoshisaka’s 1969 lodge

The existing building, locally known as the Avocado House and long regarded as a symbol of the Nozawa Onsen Village, has been cherished by the owner, a former alpine skier, since childhood, as part of the original scenery. With that in mind, Furuya Design (see more here) designs the Gondola House in respect to the owner’s attachment to this place and Takamasa Yoshisaka’s design philosophy: the new structure follows the egg-shaped design to shed the 352 square-meter vertical snow load. Moreover, the white exterior blends with the snowscape, ‘and the relationship with Yoshisaka’s architecture is imagined to be like the relationship of master and servant in bonsai,’ comments the studio. 

turning concrete and wood into a guests’ haven in nagano

Spanning three floors above ground, the gondola-shaped house is built using a wood frame, brick, and partly reinforced concrete (RC). Inside, ample daylight brings each corner to life thanks to a series of discreet windows fronting the slanted ceiling. As in the tradition of Japanese design, the interiors are spared from exhaustive ornaments. ‘Similar to the exhilaration of riding the nearby Nagasaka gondola to the summit, the aim is for the space to be like a gondola where guests can enjoy the surrounding landscape and experience the village’s culture while staying close to the gondola,’ concludes Furuya Design. 

project info:

name: Gondola House 

location: Nozawa Onsen Village, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture

architect: Furuya Design | @fua_associates
completion: October 2023
contractor: Tri-Works
structure: Wood frame, partly reinforced concrete (RC)
land area: 93.39 sqm
building footprint: 64.65 sqm
total floor area: 173.85 sqm
number of floors: 3 above ground