Sunday Escape - The Picchio Visitors Centre and Ice Rink

The Christmas holidays are near and the lucky ones will be able to spend those days in some fascinating locations in Italy or abroad.

Some will choose hot countries, although for most people December is synonymous with snow and sports like skiing or skating. If you are part of this category and you like to fly to Japan, nss has in mind the perfect place: the Picchio Visitors Center.

The location? At the foot of Mount Asama in the Japanese region of Karuizawa, about 90 minutes by bullet train from Tokyo, a popular destination for tourists wishing to explore and snowy landscapes in winter, but also the colored leaves in autumn and its hot springs in summer.

This structure and the adjacent ice rink, both part dell'Hoshinoya Hotelcomplex (which in turn is next to a renowned bird sanctuary) have been designed by architects Klein Dytham group in collaboration with specialists in the Studio landscape so on Site they had the dual function of clubhouse in winter and information and nature center in summer.

The building is designed to accommodate the topography of the site and is characterized by a pair of curved walls that follow the perimeter of the track and create sweeping lines reminiscent of the circles made by ice skaters. The outer surfaces are clad in cedar shingles, which are interspersed with anodized aluminum tiles in green and blue hues reminiscent of the colors of dragonflies that populate the area.

The clubhouse is made up of a large curved steel beam that creates a 25-meter, column-free portal structure, allowing sliding doors to flow completely backwards and provide incredible and uninterrupted views of the pond and forest.

A large two-sided curved bench runs along the center of the space, allowing people to sit, while the shelves on the solid back wall hold, depending on the season, books and brochures or rental ice skates.

Ready to go to Japan?