Kamakura Warabi-Mochi (John Lewis)

This project marks the UK debut for Kamakura, bringing their Japanese mochi and desserts to a prestigious setting within John Lewis. Designed as a “store within a store”, Kamakura required a high-impact concept for their first UK location to stand out within the busy department store. The brief demanded a functional high-volume service counter that could operate 360 degrees while asserting a strong brand presence in shared environment.

Working closely with the John Lewis retail team, the design responds to the strict design and construction guidelines while still establishing a distinct architectural identity for Kamakura.

Key features:

• Delivered in three weeks, combining two weeks of technical design with one week on site, enabled by off-site fabricated joinery
• First physical retail store for Kamakura in the United Kingdom, part of their global expansion
• Bespoke suspended red lanterns form a visual beacon and brand signature, handmade by a Japanese family with over 100 years of lantern and umbrella-making heritage
• Efficient, high-capacity customer flow achieved through a tightly integrated operational layout within a compact island footprint

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