Villa inspired by sound of rain wins NOT A HOTEL 2026 competition

Sound of Rain by Steven Chu. Image credit: Steven Chu

Australian architect Steven Chu has won the Grand Prize for the NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2026. Organized by NOT A HOTEL, which has collaborated with several notable architects on hospitality projects in Japan, the competition for architects under 40 received 1,058 entries from 112 countries and regions.

Sound of Rain by Steven Chu. Image credit: Steven Chu

The competition was set on the southern Japanese island of Yakushima, and called for ideas to integrate a home/villa and hotel into the natural surroundings. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its deep nature, millennial-old Yakusugi trees, white sandy coastlines, and moss-covered rocks.

Sound of Rain by Steven Chu. Image credit: Steven Chu

Chu’s winning entry, titled ‘Sound of Rain,’ was praised by the organizers as being “an extremely powerful proposal that connects nature, architecture, and the hospitality experience at a high level.” Having been awarded the first prize by a jury comprising Bjarke Ingels, Sou Fujimoto, and Masamichi Katayama, the scheme will now be developed for construction.