Hot food, cool design: Igloo-inspired restaurant opens in Japan

Yamanashi, Japan – No, the Eskimos haven’t moved in. The igloo that has appeared at the base of Mount Fuji is actually a new noodle restaurant called Hoto Fudo.

Designed by Takeshi Hosaka Architects to minimise its ecological footprint, the structure features large cut-outs in the walls that allow air from the outdoors to circulate, keeping the restaurant cool in the summer without the use of air conditioning. In the winter, clear doors slide across to keep out the cold.

We think it looks like an igloo, or perhaps a cloud that happened to land. Look out for more nature-inspired structures in our Utopia trend.