Case Study: Unveiling Ogata Paris, a sensory immersion in the city

Read the case study here

Last year, I found myself Googling tea rooms in Paris — if you know me or have followed me on Instagram for a while, you’ll know that I love tea and the culture around it. From the traditional ceremony to using it a form of meditation, I’ve been exploring the way of tea for many years now and love to explore different tea experiences when I travel.

My search lead me to discover Ogata — all it took was a quick glimpse of the images, a click onto the website and that was it. I was enamoured. I didn’t get the chance to visit until my most recent trip last week, but if anything has ever been worth waiting for, it was this.

What is ogata?

A private mansion in Le Marais, transformed into a conceptual space in 2022 by architect and designer Shinichiro Ogata. Described to us as a fusion of Japanese and European culture, it aims to bring together the traditional Japanese way of life with the slightly more relaxed tones of Europe.

The building features a Michelin star restaurant, Sabō (tea room), Shubō (whiskey bar), Kaori (fragrance room) boutique, atelier and art gallery. Despite these many features, they all intertwine seamlessy to create a natural journey through this beautiful sanctuary of calm and sensory exploration. 

What makes it special?

Nothing is designed without purpose here. From the patterns of the tactile flooring before a set of stairs to the soft door stops that prevent distracting sounds, the experience has been tailored to the finest degree.  The senses are tended to in such a curated way that overwhelm is impossible, instead a feeling of complete serenity is created through lighting, textures, aromas and more.

The Ogata experience

From the moment I walked through the door, I knew I’d found something special. My mood instantly changed to a feeling of both serenity and awe as our journey began in the entrance hall, where we were encouraged to cleanse our hands with a traditional Japanese water ladle — which felt very symbolic of leaving the outside world behind and embracing this space fully.

We chose to experience the Sabō and the Sajiki, a tea tasting experience. In the case study, you’ll see this detailed to the finest degree, including each tea course and how it was presented, prepared and enjoyed. It was very important for us to fully immerse ourselves and be present in the moment (which was made much easier by our surroundings, carefully planned to help you be fully focused on the here and now). Although I took photographs and videos to share, I made sure my phone was actually out of the way most of the time. I highly recommend keeping it entirely out of your way so that you can appreciate the Sabō fully.

The case study

This experience is one I want to remember forever, and also learn from in terms of how a brand can create more than just an identity — my ethos of branding being a large part of your audience’s emotional experience was demonstrated perfectly here — using the senses, considering every small detail and crafting a space that left your life behind and fully immersed you in the moment. This is the most successful example of this concept that I have ever come across.

I created the case study combining both the Ogata brand design and my own experience, a combination that summarises the experience — yet still bears no comparison on being in the physical space. Printed copies are currently in production and soon to land with us, so I’ll be documenting them once they’ve arrived! For now, you can flick through the digital magazine here.

You can read more about the experience, as well as the other areas within the space and the souvenir I chose to bring home!

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Case studies can be incredibly helpful in both identifying areas to work on in your brand, as well as celebrating successes. If you’d like to create a case study of your own brand, you can get in touch with me via email or Instagram.

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