BIG designs a trio of (luxury) retreats on a Japanese island

BIG designs a trio of (luxury) retreats on a Japanese island

Above: NOT A HOTEL, Sagishima, Setouchi, Japan, photo Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy BIG

Set across 30,000 m² on the southwestern tip of Sagishima, NOT A HOTEL Setouchi brings together three villas, a beachside restaurant, and a private shoreline. Conceived by BIG and built in less than two years, the project expands a constellation of high-end holiday residences scattered throughout Japan.
Drawing on the long-standing affinity between Scandinavian and Japanese design cultures, the resort is shaped to merge with the island’s natural rhythms. The site’s original contours have been reinstated, while olive groves, lemon trees, and native plant species reintroduce the landscape’s former richness.
The three villas—“180,” “270,” and “360,” named after the sweeping vistas they command—are positioned along the site’s undulating slopes, immersed in dense vegetation.
Each pavilion emerges as a geological gesture: ridges, promontories, outcrops, and carved passages materialize through rammed-earth walls and solar roofs, opening up dramatic perspectives over the Setouchi landscape.

NOT A HOTEL, Sagishima, Setouchi, Giappone, photo Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy BIG

In homage to Japanese vernacular culture, the villas incorporate local materials and reinterpret traditional architectural elements. Glass façades that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside echo the logic of shoji screens, while the black‑slate flooring draws inspiration from the geometric layout of tatami mats.
The load‑bearing walls integrate soil taken directly from the site and are crafted using the traditional rammed‑earth technique, revealing colors and textures like exposed geological strata.

Each villa is conceived to reflect—and respond to—its specific position within the landscape. Set at the highest point of the property, the ring‑shaped “360” villa offers uninterrupted panoramic views of the layered Setouchi scenery, spanning land and sea, with a private courtyard at its core. The “270” villa frames a sweeping 270‑degree panorama of the surrounding archipelago, with a sauna and outdoor relaxation areas arranged like floating islets around a pool with a fire pit. At the tip of the peninsula, closest to the shoreline, the “180” villa takes its form from the coastline itself, tracing its natural curve. An inner courtyard unfolds in gentle slopes, mossy paths, and trees that shift color with the seasons.
Clad in low‑reflectivity solar tiles, the roofs reinterpret the traditional Japanese roof through a contemporary, technological lens. Operable façades and overhangs support passive cooling in spring and summer, while rainwater is collected to irrigate the surrounding landscape.

Photo Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy BIG

Photo Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy BIG

Photo Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy BIG

Photo Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy BIG

Project Data
Built area: 2,350 m²
Location: Sagishima Island, Setouchi, Japan
Client: NOT A HOTEL
Collaborators: Maeda Corporation, ARUP Japan, 1moku, NOSIGHT, BOCS, Mir, LIT design

Design team
Partners-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Leon Rost
Project Manager: Yu Inamoto
Design Lead: Ryohei Koike
Project Architect: Mamoru Hoshi
Project Team: Ahmad Tabbakh, Andrea Megan Hektor, Casey Tucker, Christina Papadopoulou, Cullen Yoshihiko Fu, Don Chen, Jan Leenknegt, Konstantinos Koutsoupakis, Margaret Tyrpa, Matthew Lau, Naysan John Foroudi, Oskar Alfred Maly, Paul Heberle, Pavel Tomek, Sang Ha Jung