Japanese hospitality company Not A Hotel has revealed plans for a guest room shaped like a giant Poké Ball, to be built beside a lake in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido. The three-metre-diameter spherical structure is designed to resemble the ball used to capture creatures in the Pokémon franchise, and it will not be available for public bookings, according to Dezeen.

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A sphere designed around the game

The room, designed in-house by Not A Hotel's architecture team, will be built from two moulded acrylic hemispheresjoined by a curved acrylic window, giving the structure the appearance of an opening ball. Guests will enter through a sliding, curved door. The company said the aim is to immerse visitors in both the surrounding Hokkaido landscape and the world of Pokémon.

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Interior features and the Pokémon Sleep collaboration

Inside, a custom circular mattress will fill most of the space. The washroom will be tiled in colours associated with Snorlax, a Pokémon character known for sleeping for extended periods, and guests will be able to choose interior lighting themes based on different Pokémon. The project was developed in partnership with Pokémon Sleep, a sleep-tracking companion app to the game, and its launch is timed to mark both the third anniversary of Pokémon Sleep and the 30th anniversary of Pokémon this year.

Access limited to a competition

Not A Hotel said the only way for the public to stay in the structure will be through an upcoming competition, with no option to book or visit otherwise. The company framed the project as a response to what it described as an increasingly convenient and efficient society, saying it wants the design to bring joy rather than simply function.

Source: Dezeen

Nicodemos Damianou #