“Architecture Born of Gaps”
We designed a new shop on the site of a commercial facility located in the center of Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture.
The client's request was to build a third shop on the site (89 m2) between the existing shops No. 1 and No. 2.
Existing shop No. 1 has a special structural form and organic plan shape, while existing shop No. 2 is a simple building with black siding.
The major issue was what kind of new architecture should be created in the space between these contrasting buildings.
We decided to make the most effective use of the limited area of the building by using the first floor as a shop and the second floor as an office and build in a shape that appears by receding the outline and boundaries of the existing shop.
Although the first and second shops appear to be different types of buildings at first glance, we found a commonality in that they incorporate a semi-exterior space using wood as a design element.
We designed the third shop to incorporate this common spatial element into its design.
The entrance to the first-floor shop is partially overhung from the second floor to create a continuous flow line from the existing shop.
This semi-exterior space serves as an important connection point for traffic between the different shops.
Once inside the shop, the waffle-shaped wooden beams are exposed.
The ceiling is 3.5m high and is designed to be continuous with the half-exterior space of the existing shop, creating a spacious environment.
Light streaming in through high-sided windows creates a bright space where natural light fills the interior during the day.
The exterior of the curved wall is covered with vertical 300 mm wide siding, and the interior is painted with diatomaceous earth. This striking curved wall brings depth and softness to the space, and also serves as an accent that adds variety to the place.
In the office space on the second floor, a private balcony was planned in a position overlooking the entire site to give a sense of the entire shop.
Looking over the entire building complex, it seems as if there are three brothers standing side by side, each with a different character. Although they have different looks and atmospheres, we intentionally designed common design elements to create a natural landscape as if they had been standing there for a long time. We hope that many people will visit the building in the future, and that it will become a place that brings liveliness to the town.
