Tokyo Penthouse is a renovation by G architects studio. Located in a 40-year-old building, near Tokyo tower, the project covers the fifth and sixth floor of the building.
Traditionally, rooftop areas in urban areas were largely reserved for machine rooms. This changed in 1923 when the Plaza Hotel in New York announced its penthouse project, which set off a desire for penthouses in cities around the world.
Upon their initial visit to the property, the architects noted that the space in its existing condition looked exactly like a machine rooms where partition walls were removed. The old concrete skeleton appeared rough, and the complex old piping system was visible.
The architects decided to proposed a design that would allow for old and new to coexist. The concrete has been purposely exposed in a manner that respects the composition of the interior, and has been repaired, treated, and painted with masking and graduation painting, reinforcing the industrial charm of the building.
Further to this, it was not possible to remove the existing exposed pipework as it was connected to the elevators and neighbouring units. The exposed piping has been wrapped with copper in a move that celebrates the aging of material over time.
Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the project is the inner windows made of a ‘stained glass’ which was created with acrylic boards stained with rust. Aging metals are literally sealed into the acrylic boards, resulting in a mysterious effect that is contemporary yet at the same time nostalgic.
