Starting with the all-day dining area, we paired indigenous trees, mosses and shrubs with ornamental rocks, contemporary furnishings and slatted screens, all bathed in the uninterpreted, ever changing light bestowed by a 50-storey elevation.

For the hotel’s Kageboshi restaurant, we placed floor-to-ceiling groves of reclaimed tree trunks to form commanding vertical silhouettes, all set against unobstructed skyline views.

Our theme continued through the hotel’s abundant amenities. The spa and fitness areas were inspired by contemporary Karensansui dry gardens featuring ordered arrangements of sand and stone, while the swimming pool was flanked by Tsukasa Silhouette maple trees and vibrant foliage suspended from above to resemble the city’s famous hanging gardens.

Elsewhere, we introduced a winter garden expression to the dual banqueting suites and selected natural undertones for the guest rooms and private residences. Inspired by the soothing tones and dappled light beneath tree canopies, these private spaces evoked a sense of peace and healing.

Our theme throughout forged an interconnected nature-enthused, tantalising and tactile narrative. Our work proved that the natural world and the built environment – when brought together with thought, empathy and experience – can harmoniously entwine to become more than the sum of their parts.