Housed across three galleries—two in DUMBO, Brooklyn and one in Manhattan’s Lower East Side—bilingual Japanese arts publication +81 presents “Tokyo Graphic Passport,” a traveling exhibition of Japanese posters and…
Continue Reading…
A doorway is the only opening in the faceted concrete facade of this family residence in Tokyo by architecture studio MDS.
Kiyotoshi Mori and Natsuko Kawamura of Tokyo-based MDS wanted Shirokane House to make the most of its small site, so they designed a three-storey volume that angles outwards and upwards to create extra space and bring in more light.
“There are basic requirements for a house, where people live, such as privacy protection and ample daylight and ventilation,” they said. “It, however, takes a little ingenuity to satisfy such requirements under a given condition that a site is surrounded by the neighbouring buildings.”
Residents enter the house on the middle floor, and are led through to a double-height kitchen and dining room that receives natural light through a pair of high level windows.
One of the windows fronts a living room on the storey above, while the other sits in front of a small roof terrace.
A lightweight steel and timber staircase leads up to this top floor. Upon arriving in the living room, a steeply angled ceiling is revealed, as well as a corner window with a pointed tip.
Concrete walls are left exposed inside the house as well as outside, and are textured by horizontal markings that reveal the original timber formwork. Floors are finished in walnut.
A set of wall-mounted rungs form a ladder leading up to a second terrace on the roof, while bedrooms and bathrooms are located on the lowest floor.
Photography is by Forward Stroke inc.
Here’s a project description from MDS:
Shirokane House
The small site is located in a typical Tokyo urban residential area, where houses are closely built up. A pursuit of internal spaces in this house, as a result, changes the Tokyo cityscape a little.
An area for one floor is usually desired as large as possible, in particular, in such a narrow site. For this house, the first floor area is small due to the parking space and the second floor is, instead, larger. The outer appearance is examined based on ceiling height, slant line regulations for a building shape.
There are basic requirements for a house, where people live, such as privacy protection and ample daylight and ventilation. It, however, takes a little ingenuity to satisfy such requirements under a given condition that a site is surrounded by the neighbouring buildings. For the site, the southern site across the road is “tentatively” a parking space and no one can tell what will happen in the future. The daylight is, therefore, taken in from the above as much as possible and it is brought downstairs.
The living room is on the top floor. The roof terrace facing the blow-by above the living room and the terrace connected with the living room take daylight and air in the house and the light falls on the dining and kitchen room downstairs. The irregular shape at the corner of the site allows the house continuously to keep privacy as well as daylight and ventilation.
The building looks quiet only with the entrance on the south facade, it embraces expressive internal spaces where light and shadow change by the minute.
Architecture: Kiyotoshi Mori & Natsuko Kawamura / MDS
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo
Principal Use: Residence
Structure: RC
Site Area: 64.49 sqm
Total Floor Area: 101.63 sqm
Exterior Finish: cedar forms exposed concrete
Roof: exposed concrete
Floor: walnut flooring
Wall: plaster/cedar forms exposed concrete
Ceiling: acrylic emulsion paint + plaster board
The post Shirokane House by MDS concealed
behind windowless concrete facade appeared first on Dezeen.
Japanese design studio Nendo has installed screens based on wrought iron fences in the women’s clothing section of Tokyo‘s Seibu department store so it resembles a European city park (+ slideshow).
Brands and product displays on Seibu‘s third floor change rapidly, so Nendo designed modifiable fixtures for the space that look like street furniture in parks.
“Our design took inspiration from the wrought iron fences surrounding the parks, squares and other green spaces in European cities,” said the designers.
The decorative white screens are suspended from the ceiling, dividing the space and doubling as rails for hanging the garments.
These can be taken down and reinstalled in other areas of the store to change the layout.
Manequins are hung on wires attached to rails on the ceiling, so they can also be relocated.
A herringbone pattern of plastic tiles in shades of grey to represent paving spreads across the entire floor surface.
Wooden pedestals resembling planters display accessories on their illuminated tops.
Shoppers can rest on outdoor furniture such as low seating and park benches, some of which are used to present folded clothes.
In the changing rooms, artificial plants that match the colours of the walls crawl down from the lit gaps along the ceiling edges.
Photographs are by Masaya Yoshimura.
Here’s some text from Nendo:
The multi brand and shared areas for the women’s clothing floor on the third floor of the Seibu department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya. The ‘contemporary luxury’ floor presents multiple brands together in a unified environment, but each brand needs to be gently distinguished from the others.
The brands’ lineup and product arrangement change at a dizzying pace, so the fixtures needed to be easily modifiable.
Our design took inspiration from the wrought iron fences surrounding the parks, squares and other green spaces in European cities. We created screens based on these fences, and suspended them from the ceiling as hanger racks for the clothes. The screens are easy to remove and relocate, and have built-in lighting to illuminate the clothes. They come in seven different patterns, to give each brand a distinctive look.
We also created ceiling-suspended shelves, as well as low floor fixtures inspired by park benches and a bench reminiscent of a fountain’s edge.
To overcome cost and thickness restrictions for the flooring, we cut ordinary plastic floor tiles into different shapes and created a variegated flooring pattern that recalls cobblestones.
The colourful changing room walls are finished with artificial ivy in different hues, and the changing rooms offer simulated outdoor light as well as indoor light, for checking clothes in a variety of environments.
These designs create a free, lighthearted environment, similar to the experience of strolling in a park.
The post Nendo styles Tokyo department store
like a European park appeared first on Dezeen.
Japanese firm atelier HAKO architects used concrete dotted with formwork impressions for both the internal and external surfaces of these stacked residences in a suburb of Tokyo (+ slideshow).
Atelier HAKO architects formed two houses in one building along a narrow plot in Minamikarasuyama, west of Tokyo city centre.
The circular indentations made by the panels used to form the concrete create a pattern of dots across the exterior, which continues around the walls through the rooms of the two homes.
Both houses are entered from the front drive. The door to the ground-floor home is positioned beneath a two-storey volume cantilevered above.
This apartment contains one bedroom, one bathroom and an open-plan living area, where the kitchen is concealed behind white walls.
The larger dwelling above features a double-height living space at the back of the property.
Floating treads of a minimal staircase lead up to a landing, from which a small terrace encased in glass can be accessed.
“The terrace covered with glass was suspended in a void as an element to incorporate natural light above the living area on the upper floor,” said the architects.
Two bedrooms are housed within the cantilevered section of the building, one on each floor.
Another two bedrooms are also located on this floor, each with storage spaces tucked in the angled section of roof above.
The largest windows are located at the front and back of the plot, covered with louvered screens for privacy.
Keep reading for the information from the architects:
House at Minamikarasuyama
The house sits on a narrow and long site, while facing a small vacant lot beyond the road to the front east side, and facing a pedestrian path to the back west side.
On the south long side, buildings like apartments might be built and might cause the lack of the privacy and the natural light of the house in the future, in spite of the good condition the metered parking offers now.
The dwelling units of two generations having the entrances each separate on the ground floor were stacked in the vertical, and the family living areas were placed the west side of the each house facing the tree of the pedestrian path.
One the front road side, a certain distance for a buffer to the passer and neighbours was kept by providing the open space that has full width of the site under the cantilever building.
In order to be able to live comfortably without being affected by the change of the neighbour’s situation, main openings were set up in the east and west side in the direction of the long axis of the house, and the terrace covered with glass was suspended in void as an element to incorporate natural light above living area on the upper floor.
The distribution of the brightness and the silhouette of the light shine in the interior space are changing variously throughout the year and the day every moment, in response to the angle of the natural light.
The post Concrete homes patterned with formwork
holes by atelier HAKO architects appeared first on Dezeen.
This concrete house in Tokyo was designed by Japanese firm Apollo Architects & Associates for a family that regularly accommodates foreign exchange students (+ slideshow).
As well as two bedrooms and a large family living room for the house’s main occupants, Apollo Architects & Associates included a pair of guest bedrooms that open out to a private terrace at the front of the house.
“One of the key design concepts is to respect the privacy of the family and guests to achieve comfortable and relaxing lifestyles,” said studio principal Satoshi Kurosaki.
The terrace is invisible to people passing on the street because it is hidden behind stainless steel louvres, which interrupt the raw concrete that otherwise dominates the house’s exterior walls.
“The authentic and solid materiality of concrete is contrasted by sharp stainless steel louvres and this facade gives a touch of elegance to the streetscape of the neighbourhood,” added Kurosaki.
Named Calm, the three-storey residence is located in Bunkyo, just north of central Tokyo.
Rooms are arranged around a courtyard in the south-east corner of the building. On the ground floor, it sits adjacent to a music room and a traditional Japanese room that can also function as a spare bedroom.
Sliding doors allow all three spaces to open out to one another, as well as to the entrance hall and dining room behind.
“The floor can be used as a large open space welcoming many guests on occasions such as lectures, parties and more,” said the architect.
Balconies overlook the courtyard from the first and second floors above, plus a steel staircase connects it with a terrace on the roof of the building.
The living and dining room occupies the majority of the second floor, creating a space big enough to host a large group. A kitchen lined with mosaic tiles runs alongside and is lit from above by a narrow rectangular skylight.
Guests also have access to a separate bathroom, which is located on the ground floor.
Photography is by Masao Nishikawa.
Here’s a project description from Apollo Architects:
Calm
This three-story residence is designed to function not only as a house but as a guesthouse that occasionally accommodates foreign guests and exchange students. It is made of concrete using wood formworks composed of 40mm-wide cedar.
The authentic and solid materiality of concrete is contrasted by sharp stainless steel louvres covering the second floor window, and this facade gives a touch of elegance to the streetscape of the neighbourhood. Louvres effectively provide security and privacy at the same time.
On the first floor, a Japanese-style room, which is used as guest room, is located in the back. It is attached to a courtyard enveloped in exposed concrete walls with inscribed horizontal patterns of cedar formworks. By opening the sliding doors, it is seamlessly connected to open space facing the street.
The first floor can be used as a large open space welcoming many guests on occasions such as lectures, parties and more. Toilets and bathrooms for guests are located next to the entrance hall. A soundproof music studio is located at the end of the entrance hall. It is illuminated with soft natural light from the courtyard filtering through the translucent glass facade.
On the second floor, main bedroom and child’s room are located adjacent to the courtyard. Each room has a private courtyard and individual or common bathroom attached. One of the key design concepts is to respect privacy of the family and guests to achieve comfortable and relaxing life styles.
Spacious family room with an attached bathroom is provided on the third floor. By fully opening up wide stainless steel windows, the interior space is integrated with the courtyard of exposed concrete. One can access the roof balcony by exterior stairs from the third floor.
Our goal is to create an ultimate space for relaxation, like a hotel lobby or a salon, where one can feel free to enjoy himself/herself and appreciate elegant Joseon Dynasty-style furniture and art works that are placed here and there.
The interior and the exterior merge into each other at intermediate zones, and the host and the guests gather in harmony. This very atmosphere represents the warm welcoming hospitality of the Japanese culture.
Architecture: Satoshi Kurosaki/APOLLO Architects & Associates
Location: Bunkyo ward, Tokyo
Date of Completion: April 2013
Principal Use: Private Housing
Structure: Reinforced Concrete
Site Area: 125.81 sqm
Building Area: 88.05 sqm
Total Floor Area: 225.67 sqm (70.55 sqm/1F, 74.53 sqm/2F, 73.67 sqm/3F, 6.92 sqm/PHF)
Structure Engineers: Masaki Structure (Kenta Masaki)
Facility Engineers: Shimada Architects (Zenei Shimada)
Construction: Maekawa Construction
Exterior Finish: Exposed Concrete
Floor: Ash Black Oil Flooring
Wall: Stucco
Ceiling: Stucco
The post Concrete Calm house by Apollo Architects
designed to accommodate exchange students appeared first on Dezeen.
This narrow house in Tokyo by local studio Another Apartment has no windows or doors on its front to prevent neighbours from seeing inside.
The house for a family of three is squeezed onto a 58 square-metre plot in a residential neighbourhood of the city.
It is surrounded on three sides by other properties, so Tsuyoshi Kobayashi of Another Apartment positioned the building on the northern edge of the site, and located the entrance and windows on the south-facing sidewall.
“We adopted a plan to make maximum use of openings on the south face and the roof for natural illumination, ventilation and views,” explained Kobayashi.
A spiral staircase with cantilevered treads and a minimal handrail links the ground floor with both the upper storey and a basement level designated for use as a home theatre.
The entrance opens into the living room, which also contains the kitchen and features a full-height sliding window that can be opened out to a narrow patio.
“The living room on the first floor is located a little higher than the ground level and has an atmosphere like a broad veranda as a whole,” said the architect.
Upstairs is a single space that can be separated into two bedrooms using sliding partitions that disappear into the wall when not required.
On the south facade, a series of windows spans the full length of the room, while the opposite wall features built-in storage and includes a hidden sink.
Photography is by Koichi Torimura.
The post Long Window House by Another Apartment
has no windows or doors on its front appeared first on Dezeen.
Inspiré par les vibrations musicales du Lac des Cygnes de Tchaikovsky, l’artiste japonais Tokujin Yoshioka a récemment présenté au Museum for Contemporary Art à Tokyo sa dernière exposition « Crystallize ». Des sculptures et installations d’une beauté incroyable, se basant sur la formation du cristal.
Situé dans le quartier de Setagaya-ku à Tokyo, ce Cafe Ki au design épuré a été pensé par les équipes du studio de design japonais Id. De superbes espaces blancs, proposant en son sein des portes-manteaux noirs ressemblant à des arbres. Plus d’images de ce projet dans la suite de l’article
News: a stadium designed by Zaha Hadid as the centrepiece for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is set to be downsized following criticisms from a band of Japanese architects over its scale and cost.
Zaha Hadid’s competition-winning design for the new 80,000-seat stadium was approved by the Japanese government six months ago, but sports minister Hakubun Shimomura has now backtracked on the decision, telling parliament that that 300 billion yen (£1.8 billion) is “too massive a budget” for the construction.
“We need to rethink this to scale it down,” he said. “Urban planning must meet people’s needs.”
The proposed stadium is set to host the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2020 games, as well as athletics, football and rugby events, but faced opposition earlier this month when architects including Fumihiko Maki, Toyo Ito, Sou Fujimoto and Kengo Kuma organised a symposium calling for the design to be scaled back.
In a statement last week Maki, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1993, said: “The problems I see with the planned stadium all relate to the issue of scale.”
Fujimoto had also voiced his objections to the size, commenting via Twitter: “We are NOT against Zaha. We just think the basic requirement of the competition was too big for the surroundings.”
Zaha Hadid won a competition to design the stadium in November 2012, five months before Tokyo was named as host city for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games.
The Iraqi-born British architect saw off competition from 10 other finalists, including Japanese architects SANAA, Toyo Ito and Azusa Sekkei. The judging panel included Tadao Ando, who commented: “The entry’s dynamic and futuristic design embodies the messages Japan would like to convey to the rest of the world.”
Set to replace the existing Kasumigaoka National Stadium, the new building will be located alongside Kenzo Tange’s iconic 1964 Olympic stadium in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park.
Zaha Hadid Architects previously designed the Aquatics Centre for the London Olympics in 2012.
The post Zaha Hadid’s Tokyo Olympic stadium
to be scaled back appeared first on Dezeen.
Table legs extend up to look like tree trunks and branches at this cafe in Tokyo by Japanese studio id (+ slideshow).
The interior, graphics and products were designed by id for the Ki cafe, named after the Japanese word for tree.
The monochrome space features black steel poles that resemble the shapes of bare trees.
The poles form the legs of the tables, which sit on a wooden floor.
Hats and coats can be hung from the branch-like hooks.
Small plates of sugar in the shape of transparent leaves sit on the surfaces.
The bricks of the facade are painted white, while a black graphic showing the cafe name is printed onto the large windows.
Here is more information from the designers:
Cafe Ki opened in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo in Japan, designed by Japanese design office id. Ki means a tree in Japanese. It is a cafe where coffee and pastries can be enjoyed in a space like a yard or a forest.
The pure white space enhances the coffee colored trees. The “tree” standing inside the café takes a role as a table leg made of steel. Hats and coats can be hung on the highly extended table legs.
Although a large number of people can sit around the big table, it can maintain a sense of comfortable distance while sharing the table with a different group since wooden branches help to divide the space on the table.
Moreover, the leg of the table randomly stands and those who sit down can freely choose a place where to sit. The grove where trees are randomly standing brings a deeper impression from front to back than actually it is.
Japanese design office id designed for Café Ki not only the interior but also, the graphics, uniform, website and original products.
The post Cafe Ki
by id appeared first on Dezeen.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
