The owner of a contemporary art gallery and hair salon in Kyoto asked me to plan the interior of a new gallery and spa in Teramachi Nijo area. In a quiet area dotted with coffee shops and galleries and lined with many residences, one of the challenges was how to create an open space while maintaining a sense of connection with the local community. Therefore, the gallery on the first floor was not intended to be a neutral space like a white cube, but rather a space that makes use of the context of the existing Kyomachiya.
First, on the first floor, only the ceiling and floor are used as pipe space, creating a contrast between old and new, symbolically surfacing the multiplicity of time that this property has. This is where all the infrastructural facilities are placed. By hiding them thoroughly without exposing them, we have given an appropriate balance to the existing space, where random finishes are conspicuous. A counter is placed in the center, gently separating the back and front of the space, giving a change in the pattern of the exhibition composition. In terms of material selection, natural materials such as wood, black leather, copper, and brass were actively incorporated to allow the building to enjoy their aging. In addition, to express the client's idea of a well-being space, clay walls from the demolition were reused on some walls.
In the lighting plan, spotlights that can be flexibly used for exhibitions were used on the first floor, while the ceiling height of the second floor was too high for a spa, so instead of using base lighting to provide homogeneous illumination, only furniture lighting was used, and fixtures were planned at a lower height to lower the center of gravity of spatial perception. A central atrium was created on the second floor, where the spa is operated, to create a sense of openness and to maintain continuity between the first and second floors.
