Commercial Interior Design by Sinya Okayama from 1970 to 1973

Session V : Design and Identity

Sinya Okayama (b.1941) has been designing furniture, products and commercial interiors as a freelance designer based in Osaka since 1970. In the mid-1960s and early 1970s, the commercial interior design practice in Tokyo was stimulated by the avant-garde art of the time. Okayama's work is one of the few examples in Osaka. His works have been published in Domus and Japan Interior Design, and his collaborations with architect Takashi Sakaizawa and architect Alessandro Mendini have been highly acclaimed in Japan and abroad. However, Okayama's activities have not been studied by design or architectural historians until now. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the concept and method of his design and to explore the significance of his works in interior design. As the first result of this research, this presentation will review his activities from 1970, when he became independent as a freelancer, to 1973, when the practice of commercial interior design suddenly became stagnant due to the oil crisis. During the period from 1970 to 1973, Okayama designed a lot of restaurants including Shaggy (1970), Ghana (1971), Motani (1971), and Area (1973). The early 1970s was the heyday of so-called minimalist design, including Shiro Kuramata's all-white commercial interiors, and Okayama’s coffee shops also reflected such fashion. However, in these shops, Okayama experimented with various shapes, colors, and light in the space in order to break through the preconceived notions of minimalist design methods in commercial spaces. Nevertheless, he never forgot that he should create a space which was comfortable for people. This paper, therefore, based on a literature survey and an interview with Okayama himself, will clarify his method and attempt to verify its significance in interior design.