2wa, Kyoto, a mixed-use development in Kyoto produced and architecturally designed by GRIFFON Inc., has received the iF Design Award 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious design awards.

Creating New Urban Circulation Through Architecture and Place-Making

2wa, Kyoto, a mixed-use development in Kyoto produced and architecturally designed by GRIFFON Inc., has received the iF Design Award 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious design awards.

Located in Kyoto’s Okazaki–Shogoin district, 2wa, Kyoto was conceived as more than a commercial or office development. The project was planned as a place where local residents, visitors, and office workers can naturally intersect, creating new flows of activity and supporting gradual urban regeneration.

The name “2wa” was conceived with two layered meanings: “two rings” and “niwa,” the Japanese word for garden.

The first meaning, “two rings,” reflects the project’s aspiration to gently connect seemingly opposing ideas—such as tradition and innovation, the local community and the wider world, and everyday life and business—without reducing them to a binary opposition. Rather than positioning these concepts in conflict, “2wa” seeks to hold them in relation, creating a place where different values can coexist and circulate with ease.

The second meaning, “niwa” (庭), symbolizes the intention for this place to become a shared garden for the people of Higashiyama-Nijo and Okazaki—a space of comfort, reflection, and connection.

While appearing symbolic and modern to international audiences as "Two-W", the name retains a familiar phonetic resonance for Japanese speakers.

Prior to architectural design, the project’s planning and production phase involved a meticulous analysis of the area’s history, culture, surrounding environment, and human movement patterns. Rather than treating the building as a standalone object, the approach reconsiders the very role architecture can play in the city by situating it within its broader urban context.

The process of envisioning what kinds of activities and relationships might emerge in a given space—before even determining its form or aesthetics—is expected to grow in importance for future architectural and urban development projects.

Through this award, 2wa, Kyoto is positioned as a pioneering project that demonstrates how architecture can facilitate natural interaction among people of different generations, backgrounds, and purposes, thereby supporting a gentle, organic renewal of the urban fabric.

【2wa, Kyoto】 • Mixed-use office and commercial facility (Opening Autumn 2025) • Location: 31-1 Shogoin Rengezōchō, Sakyō Ward, Kyoto • Access: Approximately 10 minutes on foot from “Higashiyama Station” (Kyoto Subway), “Sanjō Station” and “Jingū-Marutamachi Station” (Keihan Line) • Floor Layout 1F: Aeon Style Higashiyama-Nijō 2F–4F: Office floors with coworking spaces and shared kitchens B1F: Parking for 54 vehicles • Architectural design inspired by the silhouette of the Higashiyama mountain range • Central heated staircase designed as a communal gathering space • Semi-public “engawa”-style corridors fostering connection between workers and local residents

【GRIFFON Inc.】 A creative consulting firm dedicated to value creation for businesses and communities, with core services in branding, creative direction, project management, and international market expansion support. GRIFFON operates at the intersection of business strategy, design, and communication, conceptualizing and designing brands, products, services, spaces, and experiences as cohesive value propositions.

The firm specializes in producing projects for hotels, mixed-use developments, commercial facilities, and urban regeneration, with a focus not only on architecture itself but also on the human flows and community relationships it generates. Leveraging deep local insights and a global perspective cultivated through diverse projects—from foreign brands entering Japan to Japanese companies expanding overseas—GRIFFON brings a unique strategic advantage.

【Official 2wa Website】

https://2wa.kyoto/

【Official GRIFFON Website】

https://griffoninc.jp/

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