History Etched in the Walls
A New Beer Hall for the Old Port Town

Beneath the railway viaduct by Kobe’s Sannomiya Station, prewar arches bear the traces of decades of renovations, framing the site. The accumulated history is treated as art, and the two-storey, split-level space — 202 square metres below, 272 above — is reborn as a beer hall open to the city. Anchored in the imagined tale of a German sailor rolling barrels into a once trader-owned warehouse to brew craft beer, the design rethreads Kobe’s port-town spirit for a new age.
Just inside the entrance, a sail billows above the central table, catching the eyes of those walking by. Street side, outdoor seating recreates a marine terrace, alive with sun and beer, enticing passersby to join the merriment. Beside the central table, a staircase in Beer Yellow — the very hue of a sailor’s draught — serves as both spectacle and guide, drawing the gaze inward from the street.
In the semi-basement, an open kitchen delivers the immediacy of cooking, while mirrors and indirect lighting lift the low ceiling, heightening the sense of openness. A counter of recycled denim, slabs of luminous marble, and the raw grain of light-gauge steel strike a balance between warehouse rough and modern bar polish.
Atop the vibrant staircase, the second-floor retreat is a tranquil space where colourful furnishings warm the raw prewar bones. Intentionally left exposed, the history-rich structure is enriched with layered fabrics and contemporary furniture, fostering an alluring atmosphere where past and present coexist.
The sail-topped central table, the Beer Yellow staircase, the sunlit marine terrace, and the raw viaduct arches — every element unites to tell the tale of a new landmark beer hall in the Sannomiya Station redevelopment district, destined to be etched into memory. Kobe’s character and the site’s layered history are rewoven into the fabric of the space, stitching together the old port-town’s charm with a new contemporary sensibility.