Hakkaisan is a world-renowned sake brewery—named after a sacred mountain—in Niigata prefecture. The mountains face the Japan Sea, and are famous for their large annual snowfall. Midwinter snow cover in the area often surpasses three meters. Hakkaisan Yukimuro (snow cellar) stores 1,000 tons of snow for use in the aging of sake. After the long, snow-enclosed winter, dogtooth violets bloom in a late spring, followed by the hot summer and colorful autumn. The building’s required volume is unexpectedly large, with half of it contained underground by utilizing the hillside slope. By using the pitched roof to reposition some of the facility’s functions, the design sought to blend seamlessly into the natural surroundings. The snowy region’s traditional covered alleys were recreated using modern concrete and steel materials in a way that enables users to feel the abundant seasonal variation.