The new and exclusive residence with CURIOSITY's aesthetics, has been designed in Opus Arisugawa, a unique luxurious mansion, situated beside lush green park in the center of Tokyo. The residence is a part of the renovation project, “R100 TOKYO”, led by ReBITA, offering exceptional residences with custom-made interiors with over 100 square meter space and unchangeable value for 100 years.
The Opus Arisugawa has originally rooted in the richness of collaboration between architects and artists. And how a designer can connect the building’s image to the living space in dialogue between the creations of various artists and artisans. The answer is to create a lifestyle beyond the resident can imagine. More than a spatial intervention, this is exploring the fundamentals that rhythm our daily life. It is a bridge between the richness, experiences of the past and the expectation of future lifestyle.
Japan’s landscape, architecture and interior is created by so called: “selected views”, a series of life compositions carefully framed and composed. The Opus space is developed as a choreography, where you are guided through a series of such sceneries. This is not a blank canvas of traditional lifestyle, but a thoughtful sequence of different scenes, stages and situations that cannot happen in normal conditions.
The entrance is magnified by the composition of a unique calligraphy by Shuko Tsuchiya, a representation of a bonsai on Japanese paper, reflecting in the mirror and creating a dynamic effect. The small andon, a paper framed lamp, symbolizes the welcoming. The dark stone floor with rough texture is a reminiscence of a Japanese house.The suspended volume reveals part of the interior and the narrow entrance in the right.
The narrow entrance opens-up to a large open space with a sense of infinity as the interior reflects on a mirror under the window, emphasized by the lighting and ceiling design. The main room is organized around two islands: a square dining table and a sofa. A square island with “tatami-like sofa” welcomes the visitor inside, like a room within the room. From that point, a large array of views appears around, and the unusual setting gives rise to new feelings, like sitting in the middle of a park and the landscape is opening- up around you:The paintings carefully placed against the wall, the open kitchen, the window to the exteriors. The sofa can also open-up and be arranged in different settings depending on the occasion.
Like a wordless conversation, the composition of materials, objects, drawings, paintings and rare objects create a continuous sense of discovery. The kitchen design as a performance stage is widely opened to the living space. When the kitchen is not used, the space crafted in various dark shades of stones, wood will disappear in the shadow.
Like the passages in a ryokan（Japanese hotel）, the 10 meter long corridor that connects the living room and the private quarters, is transformed into an installation like gallery with one side mirror that reflected the space, creating an amazing effect and emphasis by the carefully placed flower arrangement in the bedroom side. The master bedroom concept has been created as an independent space, where a unique mood fuses beauty and functionality with different scenes: the daybed in front of the window and the open bath. All of them are visually connected in a continuous sense of interaction between the residents. A place to share private moments of relaxation and exquisite simplicity. It is an ideal place for breakfast or reading.
Functional elements become a strong feature like art: a brushed painting on sliding paper doors leading to the dressing room. Behind the sliding doors a large dressing and personal study room opens-up, with an original private desk and console. The space focuses on the singularity of textures and materials. The wall of the bedroom is covered with a special fabric with combination of velvet and washi. The apparent extreme simplicity of the color palette reveals a wide range of textures and finishes, described as textured minimalism.
The play of light and shadow with the louvered doors of the open bath. The louvered ceiling and sliding doors create a calm connection to the space. Throughout the space, unique furniture has been created with the intention to encounter a scenery that is virgin to our memory and does not connect to past experiences, opening the mind to new expectations.
To make every moment of the daily life a unique experience, original objects used daily such as wine coolers, glasses and tea utensils, were created for the house in collaboration with traditional craftsmen and artists.
Material Used :
1. Showa Yotal – wood floor – Ash flooring
2. Luxury Carpet Studio – floor carpet
3. RIVIERA – floor tile
4. NOMURA – wall / ceiling – wood panel
5. NUNO – wall fabric
6. AOKI ART INDUSTRY – wall – Oak wooden sheet
7. Wajue – sliding door – washi(Japanese paper)
8. Minerva – door handle – washi paper with resin coating
9. Shuko Tsuchiya – entrance – Ink art
10. Shingo Ohira – flower vases
11. Togakudo – dining table – ceramic art
12. Tsutomu Hoshitani – living room – paintings
