Seitaro Design

Satoshi Miyakawa was born in the Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, in 1985. The agency he founded became independent in 2011, after serving as an architectural design firm and an interior design company. It joined Seitaro Design Kanazawa Co., Ltd. in 2016. In addition to interior design, the company has developed various projects and is engaged in construction and interior design at two sites in Tokyo and Kanazawa. It is also active in a wide range of fields, including IID A Japan board members and Kanazawa centre revitalisation projects. Major awards received include the C-IDEA Design Award, the IDA Design Award and the Great Interior Design Award Grand Prize.

Interview with Seitaro Design

Red Dot: To what extent do you think the new technology is changing design?
Seitaro Design: While making people’s lives more convenient, I feel that opportunities to communicate and experience real things are diminishing.

What intention do you pursue with your award-winning work?
The use of materials is not fixed. Depending on the way of thinking, new uses can be found and new possibilities can be presented in the space.

What best describes your award-winning project?
Sustainable store design. Proposing new ways to use conventional materials. Spatially variable.

Was your award-winning work inspired by current social issues?
Design is based on the awareness that materials can be reused in construction to realise a sustainable society.

Please describe the concept of creativity against the background of your award-winning work.
We questioned each of the facilities that are taken for granted in conventional retail spaces. As a result of a review of materials and layouts from a variety of angles, we came up with the idea that the walls don’t need to be blocked, and they have designed an incomplete space where the material selection, design, and layout are variable to match the respective store’s growth. We have created a modern store where people can visit with a fresh feeling every time.