Special Issue "SEMBA NEW STATEMENT: Liberating Space" on sale October 5,2026

Axis, Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Juhei Shimazaki) released "SEMBA NEW STATEMENT: Liberating Space" on October 5, 2026, as a special issue of the design magazine "AXIS."

Since its founding, SEMBA has worked on a wide variety of spaces, including commercial facilities. Today, the firm's scope is expanding beyond simply "creating spaces" to reexamining the role of spaces themselves and the processes that bring them into being.

The theme of this issue is "Liberating Space." This concept seeks to free spaces from fixed frameworks--such as existing uses, roles, and construction methods--and expand their potential. By bridging design, construction, digital technology, and human experience and expertise, we transcend traditional boundaries to create new value.
We present SEMBA's vision for the future of space creation from multifaceted perspectives, including design, construction, digital technologies such as BIM, and sustainability.

SEMBA CORPORATION　https://www.semba1008.co.jp/ja

Reinterpretation of Space

The spaces SEMBA has created to date are places whose meaning and purpose have, in a sense, been defined and given form by SEMBA.
To visualize SEMBA's future creative direction toward Infinity Freedom, six photographers were invited to deconstruct the meanings and roles previously assigned to these spaces and reinterpret them as they open toward new possibilities.

Seeds of Freedom -Tracing Creative Turning Points Through Five Projects

SEMBA is in constant pursuit of Infinity Freedom. This consists of three meanings: the freedom of space itself through a redefinition of its meaning, the freedom of technology and people through exceptional technical expertise. The seeds of this can be found in previous projects as well. The following five case studies help shed light on the philosophy and practice behind the concept.

Roundtable TalkーBeyond Creating Space 

From its first generation, focused on designing commercial spaces, through a second generation that championed experience and human sensibility, SEMBA is now entering its third generation--guided by the vision of "Infinity Freedom." How has the role of design evolved over the past decade, and where is it headed next? Four creative leaders at the forefront of SEMBA share their perspectives.

Roundtable Talk ーDrawing Out an Industry Map for the New Generation

With the rising cost of materials and a shrinking population, the interior construction industry is reaching the limits of relying solely on new builds, forcing it to rethink its business model for the next generation. From on-site zero-waste practices to new possibilities created by reconfiguring existing spaces, three key players leading SEMBA's ethical design approach discuss what "creation" will be about for today's and tomorrow's interior design industry.

Behind the Space ーThe Aesthetics of Creating Space

There is no single place where a space is created. Ideas are shared in offices, hands come together with materials, factories are lined with manufacturing equipment, and construction sites bring projects to completion. The intersections where these many people and technologies come together, from conception to realization, are where SEMBA's work can be found.

Dialogue  Yusuke Takahashi (CFCL CEO/Founder & Creative Director) & Jun Odagiri (President & CEO, SEMBA)
The Authenticity It Takes to Compete Globally

Yusuke Takahashi, founder, CEO, and creative director of CFCL, is reshaping the fashion industry through distinctive knitwear and an uncompromising commitment to sustainability. Jun Odagiri leads SEMBA as its president and CEO. These two leaders, both with their sights set firmly on the world, discuss the future of creativity and what companies should become.

Contents

■Reinterpretation of Space 1
Wolfgang's Steakhouse Takanawa/Photos by Shun Komiyama, CHUO FUKKEN CONSULTANTS Head Office/Photos by Rumi Ando
■SEMBA NEW STATEMENT I
nfinity Freedom
■Seeds of Freedom--Tracing Creative Turning Points Through Five Projects
Fukuoka Airport International Passenger Terminal Building, Minami-Ikebukuro Park, YAMAHA MOTOR Regenerative Lab, Mitsui Chemicals Co-Creation Space: Creation Palette YAE™, AEON MALL Mean Chey
■Roundtable Talk　
Beyond Creating Space
■Data Shapes the Future--BIM and the Next Generation of Spatial Creation
■Reinterpretation of Space 2
TOKYO STATION CAFE -THE NORTH DOME-/Photos by Yoko Kusano, KAWAII MONSTER LAND -HARAJUKU- /Photos by Kenta Cobayashi
■Roundtable Talk　
Drawing Out an Industry Map for the New Generation
■Behind the Space
The Aesthetics of Creating Space Creating Spaces Around the World
■Perspectives from SEMBA's Partner
KOKUYO/TERMINAL /AUTODESK /MERCER Japan
■Dialogue
How Can Japanese Luxury Resonate with the World? Richard Collasse (Global CEO, TASAKI Holdings)& Jun Odagiri (President & CEO, SEMBA)
■Dialogue　
The Authenticity It Takes to Compete Globally
Yusuke Takahashi (CFCL CEO/Founder & Creative Director) & Jun Odagiri (President & CEO, SEMBA)
■Reinterpretation of Space 3
Suntory Kita-Alps Shinano-no-Mori Water Plant /Photos by Rintaro Kanemoto, Terrace Mall SHONAN/Photos by Kanade Hamamoto