The smoking room

20 : 03 : 2015 Japan : Hiroyuki Ogawa : Grand Tree Musashikosugi

Tokyo – Shopping centres can be stressful at the best of times and for those who need a quick cigarette, designers at Hiroyuki Ogawa have created a smoking room for the modern retail environment.

  • Dedicated room where shoppers can stop for a cigarette
  • Liberal attitudes towards smoking have been challenged by policy makers in the last decade
Smoking Room at Grand Tree Musashikosugi by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects, Japan Smoking Room at Grand Tree Musashikosugi by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects, Japan
Smoking Room at Grand Tree Musashikosugi by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects, Japan Smoking Room at Grand Tree Musashikosugi by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects, Japan
Smoking Room at Grand Tree Musashikosugi by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects, Japan Smoking Room at Grand Tree Musashikosugi by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects, Japan

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.

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