this new pokémon center by I IN echoes okinawa’s abundant
step inside the immersive pokémon center in okinawa
Designed by I IN, this new center in Okinawa is a hub for all things Pokémon. Stepping inside, visitors are met by an open-plan circular enclosure and continuous floor space resembling the architecture of an imaginary world while evoking the caverns and landscape of the Pokémon universe. ‘[It] is designed to give visitors the impression of stepping into a video game’, writes the studio. The center features a store, a gaming space, and an information center where the curious can get the latest character and game news.
Pokémon Center Okinawa | all images © Tomooki Kengaku
where physical and digital meet
Exemplifying references to the video game, I IN took the famous Monster Ball, with its iconic shiny red and blue case, and repeatedly evoked it throughout the Pokémon Center in minimalist graphic forms. Moreover, abstract and bold representations of Okinawa’s abundant nature, ocean waters, and verdant greenery were echoed across the space, adding to the interiors’ immersive, otherworldly quality.
‘Color and texture evoke deep waters at the circular core and heart of the Pokémon Center, where visitors can access information and Pokémon games through videos and presentations,’ elaborates the studio.
Surrounding the core are experience zones with changing content to continuously excite visitors — spaces that introduce card games, showcase new visual media, and offer the latest goods. ‘The Pokémon universe is already well known to the public; this physical store, however, can convey the appeal of Pokémon to an even wider audience by connecting the virtual and real worlds,’ concludes I IN.
the entrance reveals an open-plan circular enclosure flooded in ocean-blue tones
Pikachu on display
an experience zone introducing Pokémon card games