Niseko is increasingly providing Asia-based Europeans an opportunity to relive their youths and provide a sophisticated alpine escape for their families.
Set above a babbling brook deep in the forest beyond Niseko Village, the twin chalets that make up the Shakuzen estate provide just such a year-round retreat for Hong Kong-based friends, Swede Fredrik Fallenius and German Jens Pottschul.
Photos | Glen Claydon
”Niseko reminded us of our youths and memories of skiing and playing in the snow with our families in Bavaria and Sweden.
“We wanted to provide something similar for our kids. Niseko provides us with the playground we need as a family,” says Fredrik.
Having grown up in a historical heartland of recreational skiing in Bavaria, Jens sensed something special in Niseko.
“I was blown away,” says Jens. “When I saw the quality of champagne powder here I fell in love with Niseko. When my kids touched this snow for the first time, it was one of those moments you will never forget. It was an amazing first vacation we had. Ever since Fredrik and I came here with our families we were equally fascinated with the beauty of this place.”
The Chinese/Japanese characters that make up the name Shakuzen –綽然– embody
a sentiment of composure and calm. The lower chalet closer to the creek is subtitled Kawa (river), and slightly further up the hillside, Mori (forest).
Project and property manager Keith Rodgers of Taiga Niseko says the name was inspired by the restorative retreat atmosphere the chalets would provide, hovering in the treetops with the sounds of the stream burbling below. “I’ve done so many projects that are Mt Yotei-centric, and it was really fun for me to design with a different focus,” Rodgers says. “Let’s capture a snapshot of this Hokkaido forest environment and frame the foreground views. It turned out to be even more powerful than I imagined.”
”Japanese aesthetic meets classic European alpine lines in the mirror-image chalets, which provide a bordered common space for barbecues in summer and for kids to play year-round.
The multi-levelled design follows the contours of the land down towards the creek, with a feeling one could reach out and touch the tree tops from throughout the houses, complemented by Scandinavian-inspired minimalist interior design.
The bold, cantilevered second storeys enjoy a feeling of space and light under vaulted ceilings that are unfettered by beams or trusses, made possible by the steel structure. Reticulated heating systems actually utilise this aspect of the design, recirculating the heat from the apex of the ceilings back under the floors.
This article appeared in Powderlife 2021
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