ORAKADAN FUJI GOLF designed by A.N.D., NOMURA Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Golf clubs have long been places where rituals take shape: arriving early, changing attire, spending hours outdoors, returning to the clubhouse, and sharing conversations that linger in the air. At GORA KADAN FUJI GOLF, these time-honoured practices are reimagined through a uniquely Japanese lens of retreat, with the majestic presence of Mount Fuji enhancing the experience from dawn to dusk.
This project revitalizes an established golf club situated next to the soon-to-be-completed GORA KADAN FUJI hotel, transforming the traditional clubhouse into a resort-like environment. While golf remains a focal point, the experience is elevated by the integration of natural hot springs, all-day dining, cozy fireside lounges, and luxurious suite accommodations. This thoughtful combination reflects a holistic view of leisure, where sports, hospitality, and relaxation seamlessly coexist. The most striking aspect of GORA KADAN FUJI GOLF is, without doubt, Mount Fuji itself, which is prominently visible from the site. The architecture is meticulously designed to embrace this iconic backdrop, influencing the orientation and proportions of the shared spaces. Guests are afforded numerous opportunities to engage with this landscape, which holds a significance that transcends mere tourism.
This deep connection to the surrounding natural beauty redefines the clubhouse experience. Even though golf is the initial draw, the day's activities extend far beyond the final hole. Guests may find themselves soaking in rejuvenating hot springs, enjoying a meal with breathtaking views of the mountain, or gathering around a warm fire, all contributing to a slower pace more in line with Japanese resort culture. The architectural renewal pays tribute to the legacy of the original club, retaining elements of the existing structure and brickwork while introducing culturally resonant materials like Japanese stone and timber.
Throughout the interior, historical golf clubs and archival photographs are prominently displayed, ensuring that the building's past is woven into its new context. This layering of history adds a unique depth to the project. Golf was introduced to Japan as an imported sport, bringing with it Western clubhouse conventions. At GORA KADAN FUJI GOLF, these traditions exist alongside Japanese principles of spatial intervals, material restraint, and a deep appreciation of the natural world. This balance preserves both influences without allowing either to be reduced to mere decoration.
Integral to this design ethos is the Japanese concept of "ma," which emphasizes the importance of space between elements. Rooms are thoughtfully crafted to provide visual and physical room for the changing light, weather, and seasonal colours, inviting guests to fully appreciate the dynamic character of Mount Fuji. The mountain’s appearance shifts throughout the day, sometimes standing out in sharp relief, while at other times it melds into the surrounding atmosphere. For the designers, the relationship between interior scale and landscape stands as a key achievement of the project. Symmetry offers balance, while carefully placed openings and intervals maintain a sense of fluidity. The use of timber, stone, and preserved brick creates interiors that have substance, enabling the distant mountain to remain the focal point.
The clubhouse program is aligned with the rhythms of a full day. Arrivals, dining options, lounge spaces, suites, and terraces on the upper level all boast views of Mount Fuji, while the ground floor connects lockers and bathing facilities directly to the golf course. A new on-course teahouse provides an additional chance for reflection amid the game.
Importantly, the clubhouse’s accessibility has evolved as well. Certain dining and lounge areas are now open to the public, extending an invitation beyond the golfing community, while accommodations maintain a more intimate feel. This enhances the building’s role within the destination and strengthens ties to the nearby GORA KADAN FUJI hotel. This choice reflects the changing landscape of contemporary leisure travel in Japan, where golf, bathing, dining, and admiration of the scenic beauty can coexist in harmony.
PEGGY'S EDITOR'S NOTE (2026 Sky Design Awards Editorial Jury)
The design incorporates Mount Fuji as a constant source of inspiration. By organizing daily rituals that acknowledge the mountain, the changing weather and atmospheric conditions shape the experience, ensuring the mountain remains an integral part of daily life. Keeping the original brick and structural framework preserves essential continuity. Additionally, inviting public guests into certain hospitality spaces promotes social and economic resilience for the adaptive reuse model.
EDITOR'S REVIEW
The project promises to combine stunning panoramic views with practical programming and efficient visitor movement. The upper level features hospitality suites offering breathtaking views of Mount Fuji, while the lower level includes locker rooms and bathing facilities specifically designed for the golf experience. The surrounding landscape enhances the guest experience and contributes to operational excellence.
The adaptive reuse strategy reflects a deep respect for the existing structure. By preserving original brickwork and structural elements, the design maintains historical continuity while seamlessly incorporating contemporary timber and stone details. This architectural approach honours the building's heritage and acknowledges its rich history as a vital foundation for the new design identity.
By inviting the public to enjoy dining and lounge spaces, the clubhouse expands its social role, fostering long-term value and vibrant community engagement while ensuring serene privacy for guests.
DRAWING AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS
1. First Floor Layout: The first floor is strategically designed with arrival and hospitality areas—dining, lounge, and suites—positioned to maximize views of Mount Fuji. This orientation leverages the landscape to enhance the guest experience and creates an inviting entrance.
2. Ground Floor Functionality: The ground floor is dedicated to active golf-related functions. Key spaces like locker rooms, a starting lobby, and a hot-spring bathhouse are laid out for efficient traffic flow, facilitating movement from preparation to play and recovery. The proximity of these facilities encourages a seamless transition between activities.
3. Terrace and Connection: The terrace serves as a crucial connector between the indoor experience and the external environment. By extending dining and lounge areas outward, it reinforces the relationship with the landscape and enhances the overall ambiance.
4. Upper Floor Zones: The upper level supports social interactions and overnight stays, with the fireplace acting as a focal point that encourages gathering, emphasizing community within the hospitality space. The placement of suites farther from public zones indicates an intention to provide privacy for guests.
5. Material Contrast: The combination of preserved brick and new timber elements serves to articulate the historical context of the golf club while introducing contemporary Japanese hospitality, creating a dialogue between the past and present in the architectural narrative.
6. Functional Rhythm: The design emphasizes varied rhythms of use rather than a strict separation of functions. This approach suggests an understanding that spaces can serve multiple purposes throughout the day, guided by the central focus of the golf course and the view of Mount Fuji.
Overall, the analysis indicates that the layout prioritizes a harmonious relationship between environment, function, and user experience, allowing for a cohesive interaction between the built spaces and the natural landscape.
ORIGINAL DESIGNER SUBMISSION — VERBATIM
GORA KADAN FUJI GOLF is a golf clubhouse reimagined as a contemporary architectural resort, carefully revitalizing an existing prestigious golf club while maximizing its unparalleled location facing Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Rather than treating Mount Fuji as a distant backdrop, the design positions it as an active architectural presence—shaping orientation, proportion, and spatial experience. This approach redefines the clubhouse as a new model for wellness-oriented resort architecture.
Project: GORAKADAN FUJI GOLF
Location: Mount Fuji region, Japan
Project type: Interior Design — Leisure and Wellness / Golf Clubhouse and Resort
Designer/company: A.N.D., NOMURA Co., Ltd.
Client/collaborators: GORA KADAN FUJI
Completion: 30 September 2025
Developed in collaboration with the adjacent luxury hotel GORA KADAN FUJI, the project functions as a high-end hub for holistic rejuvenation. In addition to golf facilities, the clubhouse incorporates a club lounge with a fire pit, natural hot springs fed by free-flowing source water, hotel-quality all-day dining, and suite accommodations. Together, these elements elevate the site into a year-round destination, enhancing both land value and regional identity.
The architectural concept is rooted in regeneration. By preserving the existing structural framework and brickwork, the design minimizes environmental impact while reinterpreting the building through a refined dialogue between Western golf club heritage and Japanese spatial philosophy. Japanese stone and wood are woven with continuous beam compositions inspired by traditional architecture, producing an expression of refined visual delicacy. Historic golf clubs and archival photographs inherited from the original club are curated and displayed as spatial artifacts, allowing memory and legacy to become part of the interior narrative.
Spatial composition responds directly to the monumental scale of Mount Fuji. While grounded in symmetry, the design incorporates the Japanese concept of ma—the meaningful interval between elements—allowing light, seasonal change, and borrowed scenery to flow gently into the interior. This creates a calm, immersive environment in which inside and outside are seamlessly connected, and time is experienced at a slower, more contemplative pace.
Functionally, the layout ensures clarity and comfort. The second floor consolidates arrival, lobby, dining, lounge, suite rooms, and terraces into a continuous sequence oriented toward Mount Fuji, maximizing views and experiential continuity. The first floor organizes lockers and bathing facilities with direct access to the course, clearly structuring movement before and after play. A newly built on-course teahouse further enhances usability. Smart check-in systems, cold-climate-specific planning, and regionally appropriate wood-burning fireplaces contribute to operational efficiency and long-term feasibility.
By opening selected common spaces—including all-day dining and lounge facilities—to the public, the project extends its role beyond golfers while preserving the exclusivity of its accommodation. Leveraging the global presence of Mount Fuji and the Gora Kadan brand, and incorporating the reuse of waste and scrap materials, the facility contributes to sustainable tourism, local employment, and a regenerative model in which architecture, nature, culture, and well-being coexist in balance.
Rather than remaining an ordinary golf course, the project is conceived as a retreat where architecture and landscape work in harmony to foster recovery and contemplation, positioning it as a new hub for physical and mental well-being rooted in respect for the environmental significance of Mount Fuji.