Sisii showroom by Yuko Nagayama & Associates is interspersed with rockeries
Holes in a wrought iron platform are filled with planted rockeries at this Kobe showroom by Yuko Nagayama & Associates for Japanese fashion brand Sisii (+ slideshow).
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_11.jpg)
Sisii required a single space to showcase its products, hold meetings and allow employees to work simultaneously, so Japanese studio Yuko Nagayama & Associates decided to play with the levels to separate these functions within the same room.
The architects installed a raised platform that forms pathways around rocky gardens in the angular gaps, designed to emulate the landscape of nearby Mount Rokkō.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
Native trees and shrubs grow amongst mossy rocks, while garments and accessories are hung from branching black poles that are placed amongst the foliage.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
The platform runs from the front to the back of the narrow room and is supported by a galvanised steel structure hidden from view.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
A section of the metal sheeting is folded up to conceal a sunken meeting room, which can be glimpsed through a window.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
A set of wooden steps lead down to the space behind the screen, where bookshelves are formed under the platform and a table has a matching metal surface.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
"My intention was not to categorically divide the spaces, but to loosely connect and disconnect with differences of heights," said Nagayama, who has also designed an apartment that hovers over a patisserie in Chiba Prefecture.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
Towards the back, a glazed partition between the platform and a ceiling beam separates the showroom from an office space.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
The platform continues past the glass and through a wooden door, forming a table surrounded by sunken seats.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
The glazing is echoed on the street-facing facade, where the platform sits up against the glass and stones are scattered underneath.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Mirrors line the wall on one side of the room to make the space appear bigger.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
Another angled mirror at the back of the office hides a storage area, while the rest of the walls, structural elements and ductwork are painted white.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
Photography is by Daici Ano.
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_1.gif)
![Sisii office and showroom by Yuko Nagayama and Associates](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/Sisii_office_and_showroom_by_Yuko_Nagayama_and_Associates_dezeen_0.gif)