In 2021 the Pritzker price, arguably the most important architecture award, was presented to French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal. The approach of these architects has been, rather than build new to restore and renovate, the give buildings a second chance, to adapt these buildings to a new life, a new usage.
For our Runtrip project we have, on a very modest scale, attempted to give a 35 year old building a new life as well. Rather than removing everything inside and starting afresh, we decide to emphasise the life that had happened inside the house. We wanted to show not just what was newly added, but also what was there, which we left.
The building, located in the central shopping area of Shibuya was used partly as a shop, with a three story residence on top. When this house was vacated after 35 years, the new landlord wanted to turn it into a rentable office space. The client, a sport app developing company, showed interest in the space and asked to hold-off on the renovation. We were brought in for a design solution; to create a workplace, not a typical office, but a post-covid workplace like a base. With the pandemic continuing over a year, and most of the employees working from home, the client looked for a place were people could drop in anytime for conference calls, casual meetings, team work, take a shower after a run, but also to record their Youtube live chat and hold events. The client develops a running add which is used as a social app as well where people will run together in small groups and end up, taking a shower, and use this space for gatherings.
This type of project was new to us, as most of our work in Japan starts with tearing down, removing anything that hints at a history of what was once there. Architecture here in Japan starts with a tabula rasa that keeps transforming Tokyo (and Japan) on a relentless rate. As Runtrip had stopped the renovation project by the landlord, this limited our scope as the renovation budget was fixed by what the landlord had designated for the work. Thus we aimed for minimal changes; the removal of an existing large closet and the removal of a few false ceilings.
We set out discussing this conceptual idea with Runtrip that, whatever was removed would be shown, the reminiscence of that what was there, but now gone. Treating the historical* part of the building as a kind of invisible presence, we left these “wounds” of the removal, the cuts, incisions, clearly visible. The imprint of where the wall-closet used to be is still visible, the back is mortar, the walls around it are freshly painted white. Dents, cuts, holes, wall paper is partly removed all painted over. New, more energy efficient, LED lights are added in the ceiling but the location of the old lights remain visible. All electrical wiring was installed outside of the walls and the metal ducting is placed, decoratively on the walls and ceiling. The building contained a variety of floors which have all been painted over in a grey rubber paint, leaving the texture of the previous material visible below.
We hope that this type of renovation can be inspirational for both clients and architects alike, that spaces can, and often deserve a new life. But also that we, as architects can and should take a more humble approach to the creation of space.
*Historical as a 35 year old building is considered rather old in Japan, wooden buildings are from a tax point of view worthless after 25 years.
