Located in the area of Futagotamawa, Tokyo, the multitenant building stands
in the alleyway called, the "Yanagi-koji".
The site, a joint of 3 separate plots, reflects a traditional characteristic
of the area. The building incorporates this characteristic where each floor
is occupied by 3 different restaurants. A corridor is set in the center
of the building with staircases located at both the front and back of the
building creating an alley-like access route within the building. The introduction
of the central corridor within the building layout drawing back connections
to the old town helps invite the atmosphere of the streets into the building.
The main structure is made of wood.Instead of using laminated timber as
commonly done, untreated timber slats are stacked together to create large
columns.Though the idea of bundled timber slats seems simple,the rough
and raw materiality of wood has a powerful aesthetic presence,reflecting
back at traditional Japanese architecture and acknowledges the characteristics
of the town. An architects' wish is to create a building that will be loved
throughout the generations. In order to endure the change of interior and
exterior, and to continue to be used beyond the age, we thoroughly pursued
how the bones of the building should be.
The request was to;
- create a street feel that department stores don't have.
- getting used to the city from the start.
- it's new, but don't look new; be looks like used for decades.
- not nostalgic, be contemporary.
- do design, but don't stand out. The shops are the main.
The client's request was like Zen questions.
The answer was to design each element of the building, one at a time.
First the structure, then the walls, the windows, stairs, railings, lights
and so on in that order.
The key was to add layers and layers to the design of the building without
looking back at the initial ideas or designs, in other words to keep moving
forward with the design.
Another approach, perhaps unique to this project was to approach this task
as if having more than one identity, as if there were more than one architect,
one person involved in the task. if observed carefully, one can tell that
the building is made up of different components with different styles.
Elements that make up "Yanagi-koji South Corner";
The elements that make up this commercial building are, casted iron, round
corner window frames, bricks that were scheduled for disposal used to build
the walls, suspended stainless steel net-like blinds, plants planted along
the eaves of the building, copper lamp shades made through metal lathing
process, red and green accentuating color schemes...
These are some of the un-uniform elements that make up this building that
hopes to evoke a sense of dejavu in people.
"Yanagi-koji South Corner" is not a building that can be expressed
through a single image. With layers of details added throughout parts of
the building, by focusing on these elements through no set specific scale
or perspective do people finally start to get a vague understanding of
this building.
The flexible design of the building creates opportunities for future occupants
of the building. If the building was complete as itself without room for
adaptation and opportunities for change, it fails as a commercial building.
With the adaptability of this building, the occupying stores/ restaurants
can create their own space and own unique atmosphere.
With the architectural building alone, the building is simply like a broth
(dashi) without any ingredients in them, an incomplete soup; the building
needs occupants (ingredients) to be complete as a whole.
