Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has teamed up with Rolls Royce to create the Bespoke Rolls-Royce Dawn, a singular motor car that echoes many of the design characteristics of Tokyo’s luxury residence ‘The Kita’.
The car has been designed by Kuma upon commission by global luxury property developer Westbank. Known for his efforts to overhaul the Japan National Stadium, Kuma has finessed his skillset this time on a motor vehicle, with the car featuring unprecedented bespoke elements that combine vehicular luxury and architectural knowhow.
The car belongs to the owner of the unique multi-level penthouse, ‘The Kita Tea House’, which sits atop the newly completed property, that is framed by views of the Eternal Forest of the Meiji Shrine and the National Stadium. Kuma says the opportunity to intertwine disciplines was unique and exciting.
“This is the first time I have consulted on a project of this kind and I am proud that I was able to do so for Rolls-Royce, a company with which I share a respect for traditional craftsmanship and a desire to bring out the best in natural materials,” he says.
The car’s exterior features a multi-faceted colour titled Silver Haze, that is identical to the silver-grey of the building’s core structural materials. It reveals a bronze sheen when hit by the sun, similar to the bronze koshi screen louvers on the exterior of The Kita and the bronze detailing of the interior. The rest of the exterior is finished with a sleek silver bonnet and clean-cut black coachline.
The interior of the vehicle is of a warm, intimate feel of natural royal walnut panelling on the rear deck, a nod to the walnut panelling of the towering penthouse entrance lobby. The interior leather consists of Rolls-Royce’s selby grey colour, and is highlighted by arctic white and black accents, with the seatbelts in slate grey. The front fascia runs the full width of the interior, with transitions between grey and black, similar to that of the material selection of The Kita.
The colour transitions from the residence’s luminescent grey-flecked Bianco Carrara marble, through to the light greys of soft brushed stainless steel and ceramic tile, and finally, to the dark granite and metallic tile.
Final touches include a specially designed Bespoke clock and Bespoke umbrellas colour matched to the interior.
Ian Gillespie, Westbank Founder, says the car is an extension of Kuma’s work on the luxury Tokyo residence.
“The Bespoke Dawn is a beautiful addition to our body of work,” he says.
“Kuma-san’s influence on the Rolls-Royce Dawn is the embodiment of the serenity and beauty he has created in ‘The Kita Tea House’, as an extension of that memory for the individual to enjoy.”
