A project to build a bar in Roppongi, Tokyo,Japan. Riki watanabe was asked to create a bar that fulfilled two requirements: that it would become a symbol of Roppongi and that it should be open to the city. 

Roppongi is one of the most popular and ever changing newer cities in Tokyo, and represents a lot of "movement". To contrast that, Riki Watanabe decided to create a calm, toned down design, like a Chashitsu (Japanese tea room), to give it a sense of "quiet". Riki watanabe wanted to create a space that felt a little out of place for its surroundings to boost its presence even more. 

Frameless glass doors were adopted for the facade, and the rest of the building was left as it was. Framing the whole unaltered exterior with see-through openings allows the space to feel more open, creating an invisible boundary between the city and the bar. The glass is a folding door which can be fully opened. Riki Watanabe focused on using the natural colors and textures of the materials to bring out their uniqueness and character. The rear storage door was designed to make use of the pattern of the black iron. The counter is made of cedar wood, mortar and black iron. He wanted visitors to be able to enjoy how the material aging. The bottle shelf is made of glass and has a light behind it, which illuminates the bottles with soft light through the glass. 

The sign on the bar is designed in the motif of Mount Fuji and the sunrise, one of the symbols of Japan.

 A bar that is open to the city, but at the same time cut off from the outside world. By combining these two contradictory conditions, we have created a bar that is a symbol of Roppongi. 

Riki Watanabe designs in consideration of the way places should be, the experiences that can be gained there, and the flow of time. He design is not only to create new values, but also to discover the beauty and value that already exists, and to create something that will be passed down and evolve, even if the shape is old. He believe that the ideal design has its best form gradually appear from the space that our client actually uses. The prime moment comes years later instead of on the day of completion. We aim to create designs that will be long loved by users and clients. Also, we recognize that aging and a patina are positive changes for our creations. 

Riki Watanabe designed the bar symbol with the hope that visitors will feel at ease and enjoy the passage of time.