A “Layered Chi” Spacial Concept and Modularized Materials to Adapt to In-Shop Use
Goldwin Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & CEO : Takao Watanabe) will open Goldwin Sapporo, the company’s northern flagship store for its original Goldwin brand, on the second floor of 4PLA, Sapporo’s new commercial facility, on Thursday August 7, 2025.
Located in one of Sapporo’s most popular shopping districts, 4PLA is a new commercial facility that was completed in April 2025. Because it is connected directly to Odori Station, which services all three of the Sapporo Municipal Subway lines (the Namboku Line, Tozai Line, and Toho Line), it is accessible regardless of the weather.
Following the design of Goldwin Marunouchi, this is the first store in Hokkaido to be designed by Tomoyuki Sakakida of the New Material Research Laboratory (SHINSOKEN). Sapporo offers excellent access to ski resorts such as Niseko and Tomamu, and has seen a significant increase in inbound tourists in recent years, making it a popular tourist destination for both domestic and international travelers. By opening a new store in Sapporo, a place which bridges urban life and nature, Goldwin, whose origins lie in skiing, will showcase the brand’s appeal in Japan and abroad through offering meticulously crafted products that embody functional beauty rooted in traditional and timeless Japanese aesthetics while also creating an attentive and high-quality customer experience.
■Spatial concept | Sapporo
Goldwin’s Sapporo store is the result of extending Goldwin’s retail store space concept of “layered chi” for in-store location design using modularized materials. The wall fittings are made of Oya stone, a tuff created by the accumulation of volcanic ash over long millennia, cut into small panels and arranged into resizable hanger furnishings. Using the same material throughout the space imparts a sense of unity that embodies the concept of “layered chi.”
The central fitting space has a natural zoning effect, loosely connecting the sales floor and the salon. The zoning was given a sense of openness and freedom in order to create a space that can be enjoyed amid a casual atmosphere, encouraging customers to step into the salon without anxiety.
Lines are a structural theme for the fittings, echoing the rectilinear structure of the Oya stone panels. The design around the rear windows uses wooden grilles to close the space off from the noise and bustle outside and block direct sunlight from the south while still allowing enough rays to reflect off the grille bars to fill the space with soft outdoor light. The central islands rising from the floor are accompanied by glass-topped tables nearby. The islands’ frames have a dignified patina as they support their glass tops, while the tables are lighter in construction, and the juxtaposition serves to enhance the contrasting appeal of both.
In using plain wood cut directly from nature to construct rectilinear designs that nature cannot create, the design is an example of the “layered chi” concept, weaving together the natural beauty of geological strata with the intellectual strata of Goldwin’s long-cultivated knowledge and insight.
New Material Research Laboratory
▼Official store photos can be downloaded from the URL below.
https://goldwininc.box.com/s/ewm5xy0xwkrfjkwwvd4vkg8j785ueruu
■ Details on Goldwin Sapporo
Name: Goldwin Sapporo
Location: 4PLA 2F, 4-1-1, Minami 1-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0061
Business hours: 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Floor space: Approximately 180 m2
Products available: All categories in the Goldwin brand, including skiing, outdoor activities, athletics, lifestyle clothing, accessories, and bags.
Instagram: @goldwin_marunouchi
Goldwin brand site: https://www.goldwin-global.com/jp/
List of Goldwin Stores: https://www.goldwin-global.com/jp/shoplist/