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At the Forefront of Design in Kuala Lumpur－A Special Feature on the Latest Projects Led by GARDE Kuala Lumpur Office

GARDE is an international design firm that creates spaces around the world, including a growing portfolio in Kuala Lumpur. In this vibrant city, where diverse lifestyles and cultures come together amid Southeast Asia’s economic growth, commercial and residential developments require thoughtful and distinctive design solutions.

This feature highlights two of the latest projects by our Kuala Lumpur office: Setia Federal Hill Sales Gallery at Setia International Centre and Bukit Bintang City Centre Service Suites.

Setia Federal Hill Sales Gallery
A New Experiential Space Where Nature and the City Come Together in Harmony

Setia Federal Hill Sales Gallery was planned as part of a large-scale development project in Kuala Lumpur, which includes a low-rise commercial complex and high-rise residences. GARDE was responsible for the concept design, schematic design, and design development, and design supervision of both the low-rise commercial facility and the first phase of the high-rise residences.

The core design concept of this project is “Harmony Between Nature and the City.” Inspired by the vibrant urban landscape and the Japanese philosophy of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), the space is designed to offer visitors a sense of calm and a refreshing experiential environment where nature and city life blend seamlessly.

To evoke the feeling of “walking through nature,” particular attention was given to materials. Natural elements such as wood and stone were used throughout the gallery. On the upper floors, semi-transparent fabric panels serve as “lanterns,” inspired by the soft, dappled sunlight filtering through a forest canopy.

The overall palette is composed of gentle, neutral tones, emphasizing the serene elegance of nature while maintaining a bright and welcoming atmosphere. The space has been thoughtfully curated to help visitors envision a relaxing lifestyle and inviting residential experience at Setia Federal Hill.

Bukit Bintang City Centre Service Suites
Timeless Design for a Sophisticated Urban Lifestyle

Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) is a large-scale mixed-use development located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, integrating commercial spaces, offices, hotels, and residences. GARDE was responsible for the concept design, schematic design, design development, design supervision, and visual merchandising (VMD) of the BBCC Service Suites within this project.

Situated in the prominent Bukit Bintang district, BBCC is envisioned as a new landmark that embodies the cosmopolitan lifestyle of Kuala Lumpur. Reflecting this vision, the design of the Service Suites aims to provide a timeless and comfortable living environment tailored to the needs of international residents.

To achieve this, the interior concept skillfully combines the essence of Japanese minimalism with the warmth and functionality of Scandinavian design, resulting in a refined, yet simple space that offers both comfort and elegance. The goal was to create a universally appealing living experience that leaves a lasting impression of quality and sophistication for all who reside there.

Gurney Food Hall
A Sophisticated Space Showcasing the Culture, Cuisine, and Art of Penang Island

In addition to residential projects, GARDE’s Kuala Lumpur office has built a diverse portfolio across a wide range of sectors. Among them, Gurney Food Hall, for which the team was responsible for interior design, remains one of the most talked-about achievements—even four years after its completion.

Located on Penang Island, one of Malaysia’s top tourist destinations, Gurney Food Hall is one of the largest food halls on the island. Penang has long thrived as a port of call for trading vessels and has developed into a cultural crossroads in Southeast Asia, embracing influences from around the world while maintaining its own identity.

Reflecting the essence of this unique locale, the food hall is divided into four distinct zones, each inspired by iconic symbols of Penang: the Pier, the Port, the Palms, and the Patio.

>Click here to read further details of Gurney Food Hall

Comment from the Project Lead

Kuala Lumpur is an incredibly vibrant city where rapid economic growth meets a rich mix of cultures. Our goal is to harness the city’s unique energy and character to create spaces that are rooted in the local community and cherished by the people who live in them for years to come.

Southeast Asia remains one of the most dynamic and promising markets for continued growth. We believe that by deeply understanding our clients’ needs and responding to broader social demands—such as regional identity and sustainability—we can make a meaningful contribution to the region’s development.

For both projects, we prioritized the selection of environmentally responsible materials and focused on designs that balance functionality with beauty, in pursuit of spaces that are both sustainable and comfortable. Working closely with local artisans and partners was also key, allowing us to honor and incorporate the cultural identity of each place.

Looking ahead, we are excited to take on new challenges based in Kuala Lumpur, continuing to explore the possibilities of design in Southeast Asia and contributing to the realization of richer, more fulfilling urban lifestyles.
— Yamauchi, GARDE Kuala Lumpur

Outlook for GARDE Kuala Lumpur Office

GARDE Kuala Lumpur will continue to create value in the Southeast Asian design market through a diverse range of projects. With a design approach that blends international perspectives with local culture, we aim to contribute to the ongoing urban development of Kuala Lumpur.

Art Project at GARDE: HARUNA SHIKATA Solo Exhibition “Overwrite”

Event, Recent Post

From Friday, August 1 to Saturday, August 9, 2025, GARDE Gallery will host “Overwrite,” a solo exhibition by artist HARUNA SHIKATA.

This exhibition features a series of mixed media works exploring the theme of “overwriting information, emotions, and personal experiences.” SHIKATA attempts to reconstruct memory and thought in a positive light through layered visual expression.

This exhibition, “Overwrite,” presents a series of works born from an approach that emphasizes affirmative “editing” and “reprocessing” of the experiences and memories that accumulate within us. Rather than denying the past, artist HARUNA SHIKATA embraces the idea of constructively reshaping it.

Drawing from her own lived experiences, SHIKATA explores how unchanged, unprocessed information stored in the brain can sometimes trigger negative emotions. Her method involves deliberately “overwriting” these internalized elements by hand, transforming them into something newly meaningful through artistic expression.

The works are composed using a layered process that blends photography, text, illustration, and drawing, combining analog and digital techniques. Materials such as silver leaf, UV inkjet printing, and hand-painted details are applied in multiple stages. This process reveals the visual reconstruction of memory, offering viewers new perspectives and emotional resonance.

The act of “overwrite” proposed in this exhibition is not an erasure of memory or data, but a creative endeavor to inscribe new meaning and value upon them. It invites reflection on the potential for positive self-transformation in contemporary society, where the past becomes a canvas for healing and reinterpretation.

Artist Profile – HARUNA SHIKATA

Born in 1996 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
HARUNA SHIKATA began her artistic career after graduating from Kuwasawa Design School in 2022. Her work centers on the concept of “Overwrite”—the affirmative editing and reprocessing of information, emotions, and personal experiences.

Through mixed media works, she explores the reconstruction of memory and the potential for self-transformation. Using materials tied to her own experiences and emotions—such as photographs, text, and drawings—she applies layered techniques that include silver leaf, UV inkjet printing, and paint, creating pieces that symbolically “overwrite” emotional memory and meaning.

Exhibitions & Awards

June 2025 – Tone, YOD KYOTO
April 2025 – tagboat ART FAIR 2025
April 2025 – ART@FUKUOKA
January 2025 – What You See Underneath, YOD TOKYO
January 2025 – 100 Artists 10 – Jury Award
June 2024 – Solo Exhibition Trajectry, gallery201
December 2023 – WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.32 – Award
November 2023 – Origin of Beauty 2023 – Encouragement Prize
August 2023 – Independent Tokyo 2023 – Tagboat Special Award

Collaborations
June 2024 – Quarter Room
December 2023 – MUSTARD HOTEL SHIMOKITAZAWA

Exhibition Overview: HARUNA SHIKATA Solo Exhibition “Overwrite”

Dates: August 1 (Fri) – August 9 (Sat), 2025
Hours: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Closes at 4:00 PM on the final day)
Venue: GARDE Gallery
NBF ALLIANCE Building 4F, 5-2-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Free
Exhibition Details: https://tinyurl.com/46w4d5yb
Sales Page : https://www.art-adf.jp/

“MAISON VERTE,” a new dining concept at GRAND GREEN OSAKA by Transit Group — spatial design by GARDE

Project

MAISON VERTE, an all-day dining destination, will open in March 2025 in the South Building of Grand Green Osaka.

The menu is overseen by Chef Daisuke Kaneko of L’AS, a hidden gem of modern French cuisine in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. From buffet-style breakfast to vibrant appetizer lunch plates with a drink bar, and elegant afternoon tea offerings, MAISON VERTE welcomes guests throughout the day in a refined and comfortable setting.

GARDE was in charge of the master planning, basic design, and detailed design for this project.

A Sophisticated Moment in Harmony with the Hotel’s Worldview

MAISON VERTE is a dining destination, located within HOTEL HANKYU GRAN RESPIRE OSAKA with interiors designed by GARDE.

Developed in line with the hotel’s core concept of “Natural State,” the design brief called for a base that blends shabby-chic sensibilities with a refined, urban clarity. The environment was created with a balance of warmth and elegance.

The space is anchored by a variety of green tones inspired by the surrounding environment, resulting in a healthy, sunlit ambiance elevated by a sense of richness and sophistication.

Facility Overview

Name: MAISON VERTE
Address: 5F, HOTEL HANKYU GRAN RESPIRE OSAKA, South Tower (GRAND GREEN OSAKA),
5-54 Ofukacho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Seating Capacity: 150 seats (136 seats available during breakfast service)
Teaser Website: https://maison-verte.jp/
Wedding Reservations: https://maison-verte.official-wedding.jp/fair/
Instagram (Weddings): @maison_verte_wedding

Restaurant Hours
Breakfast: 7:00–10:00 (Last entry at 9:30)
Lunch: 11:30–14:30 (Last order at 14:30)
Tea Time: 14:30–17:30 (Last order at 17:00)
Dinner: 17:30–23:00 (Last course entry at 21:00, last order at 22:00)
Bar: 15:00–23:00 (Last order at 22:00)

GOCA by Garde – Inside GARDE’s New York Art Space and Its Latest Showcase

Event, Recent Post

GOCA by Garde, GARDE’s first overseas art gallery, serves as a hub for introducing Japanese and Asian artists to a global audience, showcasing a wide variety of works including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.
We’re pleased to bring you a glimpse of our solo exhibitions and participation in art fairs held in May and June, reporting directly from Chelsea, New York.

Ibuki Minami Solo Exhibition “Gei-Kaku Ichinyo”

In May—when New York’s art scene reaches its peak—GOCA by Garde held a solo exhibition by Ibuki Minami titled Gei-Kaku Ichinyo at its Chelsea gallery space, running from May 8 to June 28.
The exhibition drew not only collectors, gallerists, curators, and artists fresh from the city’s major art fairs, but also curious New Yorkers eager to discover something new. A mix of English and occasional Japanese filled the space, leaving a strong impression of GOCA’s growing global presence.
You can view highlights from Ibuki Minami’s Gei-Kaku Ichinyo solo exhibition at the link below.
https://www.gardedesignmagazine.com/goca-ibuki-minami-gei-kaku-ichinyo-report-en/

Future Fair 2025

Future Fair 2025 was held from May 7 to 10 at Chelsea Industrial (535 W 28th Street) in New York’s Chelsea district. GOCA by Garde participated with a dual exhibition featuring artists Aya Kawata and Yuta Okuda, under the theme Neo Japanese Pulse: Reimagining a Cultural Loop.
Since its launch in 2020, Future Fair has grown into a highly curated platform that emphasizes selectivity, equity, and dialogue. It serves not only as a launching ground for emerging galleries but also as one of the most influential stages shaping the next generation of the global contemporary art scene.
Among the 67 carefully selected galleries from around the world, GOCA by Garde was the only participant from Japan.
For more details on the exhibition, please see the link below.
https://www.gardedesignmagazine.com/goca-future-fair-2025-en/

At GOCA by Garde, we will continue to host solo and group exhibitions at our gallery, alongside planned participation in upcoming art fairs.
For the latest updates, please visit GARDE’s official website or subscribe to our newsletter.
Official Website & Newsletter Registration Form

GOCA by Garde

GOCA by Garde is an art gallery created by GARDE, located in New York’s Chelsea district and dedicated to showcasing contemporary art from Japan and Asia. Through paintings, sculptures, and ceramics, the gallery introduces both emerging and established artists, aiming to foster cultural exchange and dialogue.
Chelsea is renowned as one of the world’s leading centers of art and culture, currently home to around 200 galleries. The neighborhood offers a diverse range of exhibitions, from internationally acclaimed artists to experimental works by rising talents.
In this vibrant setting, GARDE brings together its expertise in spatial design and its strong network of artists to create a place where art lovers can gather, engage, and connect. GOCA by Garde aspires to generate new inspiration and possibilities—ultimately contributing to a more positive society through the power of art.

Neo Japanese Pulse: GOCA Ignites a New Cultural Loop at Future Fair New York―A Striking Debut from Japan Captivates the New York Art Scene

Event

In early May 2025, as the city buzzed with the glamour of the Met Gala and New Yorkers strolled the streets in cutting-edge fashion, a sense of luxury and celebration filled the air. This special week, when major art fairs such as Frieze New York, TEFAF, INDEPENDENT, and NADA converge across the city, offers an immersive and elevated experience simply by being there.

In the heart of Chelsea’s art district, the 2025 edition of Future Fair took place at Chelsea Industrial (535 W 28th Street). As a platform for rising galleries, the fair gathers curators, collectors, and art critics from around the world and is now regarded as one of the most important launchpads for the next generation of international contemporary art.

What is Future Fair?

Launched in 2020, Future Fair has rapidly grown into a curated fair that values selectivity, equity, and dialogue. Far from a traditional sales venue, it encourages collaboration among exhibitors and is guided by community-driven standards. Today, it enjoys both critical acclaim and international prestige. For its 2025 edition, 67 galleries from around the world were selected—among them, GOCA (Gallery of Contemporary Art) by Garde was the sole representative from Japan.

GOCA’s Challenge: Neo Japanese Pulse

GOCA is a New York–based gallery with a mission to showcase the value of Japanese and Asian artists on the global stage. At this year’s Future Fair, it presented a dual exhibition themed Neo Japanese Pulse: Reimagining a Cultural Loop, featuring works by Aya Kawata and Yuta Okuda.

The exhibition explored a re-interpretation of Japonisme—the wave of fascination with Japanese art that swept through Europe in the late 19th century. Japanese culture, once imported as a curiosity from the East, flowed into Europe and later to the United States throughout the 20th century. In the postmodern era, this trajectory reversed: Japanese culture that had evolved in the West began to re-enter Japan in new forms, creating a cyclical cultural phenomenon. Within this loop, Japanese artistic expression has undergone its own “Galápagos-style evolution.” Neo Japanese Pulse presented how contemporary Japanese artists are fusing tradition with modernity to redefine aesthetic expression on the world stage.

Aya Kawata: Delicate Grids at the Intersection of Neuroscience and Textiles

Aya Kawata draws on traditional Japanese textile techniques while exploring the intersection of visual illusion and cognitive science. Influenced by her neuroscientist father, her work invents a beauty found in control and misalignment within visual experience. Her abstract grid compositions blend craft and intellect to create a soft disorientation and deep immersion. Her practice introduces a new frontier in art history—particularly Western traditions of illusionism—through the uncharted union of science and craft.

Yuta Okuda: A Fusion of Floral Energy and Emotional Resonance

In contrast, Yuta Okuda is known for his vibrant, intricate floral works built from vivid color and precise linework. Combining London fashion culture with Japanese sensibility, he captures the interplay of chance and intention to create new forms of visual life. Beneath the explosion of color lies a core of universal human emotions: gratitude, connection, and vitality. His works offer a contemporary reinterpretation of kacho-ga (traditional bird-and-flower painting), merging beauty with spiritual expression.

International Reception and Strategic Impact

From the VIP preview onward, GOCA’s booth attracted key figures from the international art world, including curators from major New York museums, directors of global art fairs and institutions, cultural advisors, diplomats, consulate cultural officials, top-tier art media editors, market insiders, and, of course, collectors and art acquisition directors. Every booth at Future Fair buzzed with energy, including those from Asia, Africa, and across the U.S., with engaged visitors photographing works and conversing with gallerists. The sheer number of curators and collectors in attendance underscored the high level of curation and relevance of the fair itself.

Kawata’s work received praise for “bridging Eastern delicacy with scientific reasoning,” while Okuda’s was noted for “a return to primal beauty infused with futuristic color sensibility.” Multiple sales and exhibition offers followed. Most importantly, GOCA’s curatorial concept—rather than exporting culture in one direction, it embraces reinterpretation through global cultural circulation—was particularly well received in today’s diversity-conscious art world.

In Conclusion – Reframing “Japan”

Future Fair is more than just another art fair. It is an intellectual testing ground for reorganizing the boundaries between nations, markets, and cultural centers. Neo Japanese Pulse, as presented by GOCA, was not a display of Japan as it is, but an invitation to consider how culture transforms and circulates—an introduction to new forms of Japanese identity in art. That we were able to lay the foundation for this message from a small corner of Chelsea feels deeply significant. It marks the beginning of our voyage, and GOCA looks forward to continuing the dialogue on where Japan’s next artistic pulse may lead within the international art scene.

Future Fair 2025 – Overview

Dates: May 7 (Wed, VIP Preview) – May 10 (Sat), 2025
Venue: Chelsea Industrial (535 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001)
Participating Galleries: 67

Written by local correspondent Kenta Ichinose (GOCA Curator)

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Setia Federal Hill Sales Gallery A New Experiential Space Where Nature and the City Come Together in Harmony

Bukit Bintang City Centre Service Suites Timeless Design for a Sophisticated Urban Lifestyle

Gurney Food Hall A Sophisticated Space Showcasing the Culture, Cuisine, and Art of Penang Island