Dubai’s known for its novel, innovative, upscale architecture and trendy new venues that pop up like the sun rising and setting. But when Lexus, the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota, announced they have opened a concept clubhouse designed by renowned Japanese architect Masamichi Katayama, it was one hot spot to pay serious attention to.
Katayama-san has an interior design firm called Wonderwall and he is known for his unconstrained approach in actualising design concepts while respecting conventional and traditional design philosophies. He is also a professor at Musashino Art University’s Department of Scenography, Display and Fashion Design, in Tokyo. You can imagine him being a professor in a university. He has a confident, natural way of leading and communicating. He also has a youthful spirit and a modern sense of style, which I imagine is inspired by the students that surround him, combined with his philosophical way of thinking. He wore hot new limited edition ACRONYM x Nike Lunar Force 1 trainers that have sold out in shops everywhere; he had denim jeans with a Sacai T-shirt and a fashionable trendy jacket by Mason Kitsune, Japanese and French duo designers. He has an undercut and he wears thick retro black glasses, by Ayame. This is a man clearly in touch with youth culture, fashion and trends, yet he dresses for comfortability and self-expression, just like a true artisan.
When you first set foot at Intersect by Lexus, the latest trendy restaurant and clubhouse, it is hard not to be stunned by its unique attention to detail and impressive avant-garde, ingenious designs. It is a place that blends global cultural designs and concepts, where Japanese influences are merged with Arabic and European touches. This is echoed throughout the venue, not just with the food and beverage but also in the space that includes a fashion concept shop, library and garage.
The first thing you notice is the ceiling, on the top floor, and the floor of the basement. You instantly see a sea of mesmerising white ripples, on the ceiling, which look like sand dunes beautifully blown by wind in an expansive desert. There’s a bamboo facade or wall, which is inspired by Lexus’ spindle grille. It cages the creative hub filtering natural light across the restaurant. On the lower ground, there’s a see-through glass floor that is uniquely designed to showcase over 150 white hand-painted Lexus car parts. As you stand on the glass floor, it is as if you are standing on a rare piece of curated art that should be displayed at a Guggenheim museum. The designer said: “I wanted to show two floors at once from the moment the guest enter. That was a challenge but I am very happy with the results. The entire space opens up as soon as you walk through the doors.”
After having a tour of the dazzling space I was excited to be introduced to Masamichi Katayama, who designed the interesting project, Intersect by Lexus. It’s the second clubhouse opening in the world. The first was in Tokyo launched in 2013. Ultimately, the plan is to have six across the globe and word is New York will be the next.
Tell us about you and your background in design.
I studied interior design and established my own company at 24 years old, which was quite young. I’m 49 years old now so I’ve had a long career. Japan is a fast-paced, global consumer hub and I am a big shopping enthusiast. I always wanted to be an interior designer in the city of Tokyo. When I started my company, I didn’t have a supervisor and I didn’t study under the influence of anyone; I wasn’t actually mentored. I am a self-taught interior designer so I’ve taken advantage of not having a mentor as a designer and I used my own experience to teach myself. Depending on the project, I customise the concept I am given so all my designs are different.
What is Intersect by Lexus all about?
Intersect by Lexus is one of the most prestigious projects I have ever done and I am very proud of the one in Dubai. The Intersect project is quite challenging. The reason I say this is because it is not a retail space and it is not a showroom. It is a branding space. It is also about creating an environment where people interact with a wide range of information and activities. As an incubation platform generating new innovative ideas and concepts, it has been designed to evoke the feeling of a clubhouse or lounge, allowing people with shared values to come together and interact in a relaxed yet inspiring environment. The craftsmanship and other facets of the Lexus brand are on display here, with a spindle-grill-inspired entrance façade and engine-part-adorned walls.
The Lexus brand is originally from Japan and we wanted to bring Japanese takumi (craftsmanship) and ometenashi (hospitality) into the space, in a very correlated way. We wanted to communicate this philosophy globally, through Intersect by Lexus. Each section will have special features and local touches from various parts of the world, but it’s not about adapting ourselves into those particular places. It is about visiting them and appreciating its beauty in a very unique way.
Why did Lexus choose Dubai?
Lexus plans to build six across the world. So far, we have one in Tokyo and now Dubai. Later we will be opening a space in New York City, which will follow in the same footsteps as the others in terms of concept and design.
One of the main reasons the second one was built in Dubai was because the team here were quick to make a decision. It was a smooth and easy process. After our presentation, we didn’t have to change our design, they approved it and it went straight to construction. I believe limited freedom can take creativity away, sometimes. In Dubai architects are given so much freedom. Dubai is such a fast growing emirate and Lexus cars are so popular in the region so the team here were happy to approve the concept speedily. It was fate and we are very happy about that.
In Tokyo, the cultural scene is changing rapidly, people are looking for experiences; it’s less about ostentatiousness. This is what we wanted to bring to Dubai, a cultural experience that also gives guests an insight into the Lexus brand, which we expressed through the design of Intersect by Lexus. I was interested in highlighting a cosy and relaxed feeling in the Dubai location.
How did the collaboration occur between you and Lexus?
The Lexus team approached us and told us they wanted to create a branding space. But then it became a collaboration between my company Wonderwall and Lexus. It was an organic discussion and they were very open to ideas. Mr Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motors, was very committed to the project. He was in all the meetings and it is very unusual for him to be in any of the meetings. He put a lot of his spirit into the project.
I had a deep discussion with the Lexus team about the brand and what kind of place we should create for branding. I came up with a concept of a clubhouse. Usually the car showroom is where people want to sell their cars, but this is more like a place you receive information. My idea is to create a space where people who love Lexus talk about their cars and their lifestyles.
How did you come up with the name?
Intersect by Lexus is a space that is meant to evoke and create energy. It’s an art gallery as well as a cultural design hub, while also engaging its guests in the Lexus experience in an incredibly unique way. We thought about the intersection of culture, design and experience. So the space is just a beginning. There was a party last night and people came and were having fun. That was a true journey of the space. Intersect is always offering news and it is a centre of happening.
Tell us about the special features?
A clubhouse is the core concept of this space, where people gather in a salon-like space, while enjoying privacy and comfort and the intricate and diverse design elements that the space has to offer. That’s why I created the spindle grille on the façade, to serve as a partition between the interior and the exterior worlds. In a clubhouse, people can relate their experience with the brand in a much more real and human way. I wanted to be as far from commercialism as possible. I am interested in real organic conversations and dialogue between people.
The Lexus brand is originally from Japan and we wanted to bring Japanese takumi (craftsmanship) and ometenashi (hospitality) into the space, in a very correlated way. We wanted to communicate this philosophy globally, through the design. There is also an imaginary figure, a ‘Mr Lexus’, and this is who we envisioned would live in and design a place like Intersect by Lexus. This figure is based on the president of Toyota Motors. The design and concept of the venue was built around a story of the figure ‘Mr Lexus’. That is how the details were born. We considered what he’d like if he lived in this space.
The ceiling is inspired by sand dunes found here in the UAE desert. The ceiling of a space is an area that a designer can use to express himself freely. Normally, designers care a lot about the floor. But the ceiling is a very unique space to add a design, and I chose to utilise the ceiling space to express myself freely with the sand dune design and the hand blown glass chandelier by Lindsay Edelman, a New York based creator and designer. There is a library curated by Brownbook. It features English, Arabic and Japanese literature specialising in design, art, architecture, film and travel that compliment the overall theme of Intersect. The beautifully curated books are shelved in six columns that also showcase select minimalistic and modern ornaments in line with the Lexus design philosophy.
There is artwork on display. A large black and white mural entitled Lexus City, by Ryu Itadani, hangs above the barista counter and sunken kitchen. It was commissioned exclusively for us. This breathtaking piece of art depicts the global facets to the Lexus brand. There is a miniature car wall on the lower ground floor. I wanted to provide the young social media generation with something fun for them to talk about. I tried to connect old and young generations of the Lexus brand through a toy car wall, in a playful and captivating way.
Tell us about the restaurant. What’s special about the food and drink?
It’s ‘feel good,’ light and uncomplicated dishes by culinary artisan Chef Tomas Reger. The artisanal eatery offers an authentic and progressive culinary journey with a focus on pure, handcrafted cuisine. The sunken kitchen and elevated chef’s counter encourages an engaging food experience, allowing an intimate interaction between the Chef and the guests, reinforcing the philosophy of Intersect – an intersection of people, ideas, food and culture.
In line with Lexus’ philosophy surrounding immaculate craftsmanship, every ingredient featured in the menu is carefully handpicked, including the organic coffee and wine selection. We have partnered with Raw Coffee Company, the city’s organic fair trade boutique roaster to offer the guests a unique coffee experience. Ethiopian Harrar is the first coffee bean ever traded dating back to the 15th century. True coffee connoisseurs will know that Harrar coffee matures so slowly that it packs in all the flavour. The wine has been carefully selected by award-winning sommelier Sarah Belangerto and they are all organic from smaller producers and farms from around the world that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
How important is design to you and is it an interest that you’ve always had?
When it comes to design I want to offer a place for people to communicate. I’m not that interested in the form. I am more interested in creating an atmosphere. And this atmosphere is about stimulating people to communicate. I focus on design details and elements but that is not the most important part. There is always a reason choosing materials, colours and lightening but I am more interested in the story it creates and, I have to say, I like people more than I like design. Creating a meeting point is important for me.
My father ran a furniture store and I grew up in the store. It was a nice experience to witness people buy furniture and have conversations. I think this inspires my design. I grew up in that environment, witnessing people talking whilst they were buying furniture.
Who or what else inspires your work?
I’m influenced and inspired by many different things. I have been influenced by American and European designers, like everyone in my generation. I come from an era that believed that Americans are super cool. That’s how we were raised. But later I became very intrigued by the true traditional Japanese culture. Now with the help of the internet we have a lot of available information which is always very inspiring and important in the way in which I can influence my new design concepts. I love interior designers from the past; but my mentors are not just experts but also amateurs. I’m a professor at Musashino Art University and I am also inspired by students.
How do you think fashion, art and culture in Dubai compare to other cities like London, NYC and Tokyo?
Frankly speaking, I didn’t have much knowledge about Dubai before the project started. It was refreshing to see the cultural scene in Dubai. It is so fast-growing and so fast-paced. It is a very powerful place. Walking around DIFC, where Intersect by Lexus is, you see a lot of art galleries and it is very inspiring. Dubai is very international but it’s nothing like London or NYC. It is a different kind of international. A place that doesn’t have a long history has a great advantage in a way that people are very interested and open to new ideas; they are willing to experience new things and I think that makes it very interesting. In someway, it is similar to Tokyo. Tokyo has a history but as a city we are constantly experimenting with new things and new ideas. I feel familiar with Dubai because of this.
What type of people do you think it will attract?
I hope it attracts creative and intellectual minds from the region. I want influencers and creative people to use this space daily. I what it to be a place where people will feel comfortable. If you think of a gentleman’s club in London that’s the idea I had in my mind but not just for men, of course. But I wanted to create the feeling of a home away from home where you can have tea, work or have a meal. I want it to be a place that is part of your daily life. It is a unique luxury space where people can experience what is truly quintessential of Lexus without getting behind a steering wheel. It’s not a dealership, nor a traditional retail space; guests are able to engage with Lexus through food, design, art, fashion, music and technology with the inviting eatery, curated library and innovative garage.
What about the shopping concept called ‘Crafted’?
Crafted was created to support the world of Lexus in a sophisticated way, through unique designed products sold exclusively here. Earlier we said the key words for Intersect are craftsmanship and hospitality. This project started when the store opened its Japanese craftsmanship, but young craftsmanship. As I said, this is not just a retail space, it is a place to support the world of Lexus in a sophisticated way.
The boutique showcases a collection of contemporary lifestyle items born out of a series of collaborations between traditional Japanese artisans and young designers. Here, there’s a collection that features a variety of handmade items such as Roberu travel bags, Kaneko Optical sunglasses, Sphelar Power handy lights, Brooklyn Museum wallets and travel cases, One Klin cups, Tamaki Niime shawls, Ito Bindery drawing pads to name a few. Intersect by Lexus will be hosting a variety of events and exhibitions, from jazz nights to design and art workshops and various other talks. I also heard that Intersect will be inviting local artist and artisans from the region to collaborate. There will be design events. Lexus is supporting so many artists for cultural events. That is one aspect of Lexus. It is not just about a car. It is about a lifestyle.
What motto to you live by?
Live with joy. If you do not enjoy your life you cannot provide joy for others. I want to be true to myself and true to my feelings and this is also what I do with my work and designs. I get inspiration from different fields all the time and I love my designs. It’s not a Japanese way of thinking to say that you love your own work. They would never say that. I put a hundred per cent effort into my work. I’ll be in the business as long as I can give joy to people. I have to educate myself constantly because my standards are getting higher and higher and that is so exciting about my life. Learning and experiencing and growing is the best excitement in life.
Located in DIFC, Village Gage 7 INTERSECT BY LEXUS opens from 8 am to 12 pm, Sunday through Friday. For more information, please visit www.lexus.ae
By Hershey Pascual
