KITAKARO SAPPORO HONKAN (北菓楼札幌本館), Sapporo (札幌), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.24

Day 10 (3/6).

During our Hokkaido trip, we visited three works by Japanese architect Tadao Ando (安藤忠雄): the Chapel on the Water in Tomamu, the Hill of the Buddha in Makomanai Takino Cemetery, and in Sapporo, the Kitakaro Sapporo Honkan (北菓楼札幌本館). The Japanese confectionery store is housed in the two-storey brick masonry building that was once the first library (北海道庁立図書館) and the first ever art museum in Hokkaido. Then, after being used as an archive of public records, the most recent renewal by Tadao Ando opened the building to the public once again. Ando’s team has done a great job in preserving the masonry structure and interior features of the original building such as the elegant stair at the building corner. They also created an airy atrium space with white cross vault ceiling and large bookcases on the upper level to remind visitors the building’s history as a library. Today, the lower level serves as a flagship store selling Kitakaro’s confectionery while the upper level is a popular cafe.

The historical library building (北海道庁立図書館) is a beautiful piece of architecture dated to 1920’s.

The original masonry facades are well preserved.

Little contemporary touches give new life to the former library building.

The main entrance of the confectionery shop, a glazed box attached to the side of the history building, presents a visual contrast to the original structure and suggests a sense of respect to the heritage building by not mingling a “fake antique” with the old.

The original stone stair is well kept. It leads visitors up to the cafe on the upper level.

This stone stair has become a popular photo shooting spot for visitors.

The ground level is occupied by the confectionery store. Here visitors can appreciate the white vaulted ceiling overhead and the airy atrium.

The red brick walls are well preserved, while the new vaulted structure is completely detached from the old masonry facade.

From the upper level visitors can appreciate the variety of the colourful boxes of sweets available.

The interior design of the cafe is inspired by the building’s former use as a library. Bookcases are used as feature walls that stand out from the white surroundings.

The cafe is popular with both locals and tourists .

It is pleasant to dine in such an airy environment with super high ceiling.

Spaghetti with scallop in cream sauce. The cream sauce is surprisingly light but rich in scallop flavour. The cream sauce has the subtle sweetness of the fresh scallops.

This is Kitakaro’s Special Omelet Rice. What lies underneath the layer of fresh and soft omelet is a combination of rice and Hokkaido beef. It is served with a rich sweet sauce. This dish might look simple but the combined aromatic flavor from the fresh Hokkaido ingredients is really remarkable.

The famous cream puff with smooth and silky cream that melts in the mouth, leaving behind a milky aftertaste that lingers.

Hokkaido is famous for its lavender fields in the summer. Just like Ando’s Hill of the Buddha, lavender is used at the Kitakaro Sapporo Honkan (北菓楼札幌本館) to give some pleasant colours to the historical structure.