taichi hirata

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer taichi hirata ("TH") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

TH : 2011, Architecture, BA, Kindai University, OSAKA/JAPAN 2014-2020, ALPHAVILLE Architects 2021-, studio tata

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

TH : What draws me to design is the quiet satisfaction of giving form to ideas—of turning subtle observations into something tangible. While the process is often challenging, there's a sense of fulfillment in engaging deeply with materials, spaces, and meanings. Design is not only how I work, but how I think and connect with the world.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

TH : I chose to become a designer—though at first, it wasn’t a deeply thought-out decision.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

TH : I design spaces, objects, and sometimes systems—things that shape how we live, sense, and move through the world. Lately, I’m drawn to designs that exist between categories—projects that resist easy definition and invite unexpected connections.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

TH : I’m still learning myself, but I believe it’s important to keep questioning and observing. What matters most is not recognition, but the quiet persistence to keep making.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

TH : Good design often looks impressive. Great design lingers—it continues to speak, quietly, over time.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

TH : A really good design is quiet, but enduring. It doesn’t seek attention, yet it outlasts trends—gaining depth as time passes, not losing it.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

TH : Good design shapes not just what we see, but how we live, feel, and relate to the world. Its value often lies beneath the surface—but over time, it proves essential.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

TH : If I had the time, I would devote it to an ongoing artwork project I've been slowly developing. It’s not tied to a specific function or client—but it feels necessary, as a way to explore form, material, and thought more freely.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

TH : My dream project would be to create something large and meaningful with a team I truly trust— to push forward together, wrestle with ideas, and keep moving toward completion without compromise.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

TH : Observation.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

TH : I wouldn’t say there’s one particular figure I consistently follow. But ever since I was a student, I’ve been drawn to Tadao Ando’s work.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

TH : I came across the Can Framis Museum by BAAS Arquitectura while traveling in Barcelona. The way natural light entered the space and the treatment of materials left a quiet, lasting impression on me.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

TH : To me, a great design is one I’ve taken to its limit— thought through completely, without compromise. If I’ve done that, even on a small scale, I can stand behind the work.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

TH : Keep thinking. Keep observing.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

TH : If not design, maybe photography

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

TH : Design is a way to solve problems. But solving well requires observation, thinking, and a lifetime of input— what we notice, what we carry, and how we connect it.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

TH : My greatest supporters have been the clients who believed in me early on. Their trust gave me chances I might not have had otherwise—and I tried to meet that trust with everything I had.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

TH : I’m not sure I would call myself a great designer. But if I’ve grown at all, it’s because I kept thinking, kept observing, and tried not to take shortcuts. Just staying with the work—that’s what’s helped the most.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

TH : The biggest obstacle has always been financial. Balancing survival with the desire to do thoughtful work is not easy—especially when the work takes time. But somehow, I’ve kept going—and I hope to keep going, quietly and steadily.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

TH : Of course, presenting through the A’ Design Award is one way. But above all, I think it’s essential that design is shared— because without being seen, it can’t truly enter into dialogue.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

TH : I’m currently working on the renovation of a 100-year-old "nagaya" housing—a traditional Japanese row house. It comes with many challenges, both spatial and structural, but I see it as a chance to think about what a designer can contribute as a new layer within a long history. Rather than erase its past, I hope to quietly extend it.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

TH : To be someone people need—not for show, but for what I can quietly bring to their lives.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

TH : Rather than trying to meet expectations, I try to stay grounded— to keep designing with care, and to make things that feel necessary rather than impressive.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

TH : I believe design helps society not always through bold gestures, but through small, thoughtful decisions that accumulate— making daily life more humane, more attentive, and more open.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

TH : What I find most fulfilling is working together with others— engaging in creative processes that carry just a bit of challenge. That shared focus, where everyone is thinking and building something new, is where I feel most alive.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

TH : I’m of course satisfied with Wagon Remodeling Food Van. But what stays with me most is the process— the moments of struggling with the team to figure out materials, methods, and small details. Even in a short timeframe, those shared moments of trial and error made a deep impression.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

TH : I hope the design industry continues to place more value on the invisible aspects of our work— the quiet thinking, the slow decisions, the care behind each choice. At the same time, I think we as designers also need to reflect on how much of our process has remained a black box. Perhaps part of the reason it's undervalued is because we haven't made it visible enough.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

TH : Design, I think, will always be a response— to problems that shift, evolve, and multiply with time. It won’t always be the main voice, but it will be there— sometimes leading, sometimes supporting, but always listening.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

TH : It’s not something I can fully decide myself. In most cases, the timeline depends on the client’s needs. But within that framework, I try to spend as much time as possible thinking and refining. If there’s potential for better design and the situation allows, I sometimes extend the process—always with care and respect for the project’s constraints.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

TH : I start by sorting out the core problems and the client’s expectations. Once I have a basic direction, I question it— looking for a more precise, thoughtful response to the situation.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

TH : To think is to care.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

TH : Design can certainly shape trends, but I also see trends as reflections of collective needs in a given time. So I don’t ignore them—but I do try to understand why a trend carries weight. Rather than follow blindly, I prefer to ask what it reveals about the moment we’re living in.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

TH : Technology helps me see, simulate, and build. But it doesn’t decide what matters. That still comes from the question at hand.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

TH : I use a mix of digital and analog tools, depending on the phase of the project. Sometimes that means sketching or making quick models; other times it involves more complex simulations or visualizations.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

TH : I see color, materials, and ambient qualities as equally essential— they’re not secondary details, but fundamental parts of how design is perceived and experienced. Among them, materials that can be touched—whether or not people actually do—and light, which defines so much of what we see and feel, are especially important to me.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

TH : I think I’d just like someone to look at it and ask, “Does this feel right?” or even just, “Is this nice?” or “Kind of cool?” It doesn’t have to be serious. Even a casual question like that means they’ve felt something—and that matters to me.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

TH : There’s always admiration—and sometimes a bit of envy too. Not in a negative way, but the kind that makes me think, “I wish I had made that.” That mix of respect and inspiration stays with me.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

TH : Yes, I believe in co-design—especially when it happens between people who respect each other, and who share the same field but bring different areas of expertise. That slight overlap and slight difference create the kind of tension that sharpens both sides. It becomes a source of real insight and energy.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

TH : It’s hard to name just one person. I’ve been most influenced by the people I’ve worked closely with— especially those I could think with, struggle with, and solve problems with. Those shared processes shaped not just the outcomes, but how I approach design itself.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

TH : No specific book comes to mind, but I think I’ve been quietly influenced by architectural magazines like Domus, as well as collections of poetry, photography books, and art publications. They don’t always have a direct effect, but something in them often lingers and returns later in unexpected ways.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

TH : By observing carefully, thinking consistently, and staying with the process even when it was unclear or uncomfortable. I’ve learned the most from working within limitations— trying to find better answers without giving up.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

TH : I just noticed a book spine on my shelf—it reminded me of Asplund. If I could, I’d like to speak with him when he was working on the Skogskyrkogården

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

TH : Hard to say. It would be nice to be more well-known, sure— but whatever happens, I’ll just keep going with what I’m doing now. That’s really the only way forward.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

TH : Black and winter—very architect of me, I guess. The rest... I try not to get too attached.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

TH : Nothing comes to mind right now—but if I remember something later, I’ll be sure to write it down.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

TH : Sometimes it’s just finding a small clarity after a long time thinking. Other times, it’s seeing someone connect with something I’ve made. I stay motivated by staying curious—and by trying to move things one step forward, even if it’s a small one.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

TH : My father was an architect, so I vaguely assumed I might follow the same path. It wasn’t something I thought deeply about—but it was always there, quietly.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

TH : When I look at what has lasted a thousand years, I feel there are hints about what might matter in the next thousand. I don’t know what the future will look like, but I hope to create something that could quietly become part of a greater history.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

TH : There’s not much I need to say— I just hope something I’ve made speaks to you in its own quiet way.