The smoking room

Created for the Grand Tree Musashikosugi shopping centre, the design is a far cry from the dreaded smokers’ prisons found in international airports around the world. A sealed glass exterior shows passers-by into a warmly lit space that marries homely materials of tile, wood and acrylic. The smoking room is extremely effective in ensuring that smoke is removed as quickly as possible via a combination of fans and clever design features. ‘Firstly, by adding the curved wall we induce the smoke to the exhaust outlet on the ceiling,’ says the design team, comprising Ogawa and architect Erika Okamoto. ‘Secondly, by setting up a fan between the ashtray and the exhaust outlet, the second-hand smoke and smoke from people’s mouths are quickly drawn away.’

The Big Picture: With this kind of space there are opportunities for brands to benefit from the Conviviality Culture engendered by shared experience.