“Form follows function” is an aphorism we are tired of hearing. But is it possible to use form and space not to serve certain functions, but to ask questions? In other words, something that leads one not with answers but with questions. If so, it should appear as something hard to explain to the designer oneself.
We were asked to design a shared office space for four companies, which would be located on the fourth floor of a multi-tenant building facing the green area of the Akasaka Imperial Villa. The floor space was very small, and it was necessary to maximize the use of the limited area by literally “sharing” the space so that multiple functions could coexist. The plan of the building is a slightly distorted isosceles right-angled triangle, and its acute corners are used for stairs and balconies, making the remaining rooms even more irregular in shape. On the other hand, the long side of the triangle faces the imperial garden, and the horizontal windows there provide a view of the lush greenery.
On the ceiling, there was originally an RC beam that visually divided the room into two areas: window side and an entrance side. Then, by adding a fake beam orthogonally to it, four loosely divided zones were defined. In addition, a square surface of 3 meters per side was placed under it. This desk allows the users to share the space while keeping comfortable distances between them, as the opposite sides are enough apart.
On the other hand, the intersection of the four beams and the center of the desk are slightly offset, and we decided to connect these two points with a fake pillar. The pillar creates a new division on the desk, while at the same time reintegrating the space by giving it a centripetal character. However, the role of the pillar remains essentially ambiguous. To an untrained viewer, it may appear to be an actual structure. At the same time, the pillar tilts slightly in odd positions and connects to unusual beams, giving it the appearance of it being a fake. What these columns provide are not functions, but a set of questions.
The only physical divider in the space is the uneven, mirror-polished stainless-steel surface. This distorted mirror reflects the horizontal windows, creating an illusion of a continuous green panorama. Simultaneously, it also reflects the false columns and beams, creating a distorted false image. The columns distorted by the mirror may appear more vertical than in the reality. Are the fake false images real?
