Architect Jo Nagasaka was born in Osaka. After graduating from the Department of Architecture ,Faculty of Fine Arts of Tokyo University of the Arts, he established Schemata Architects in 1998. In 2007, he started a collaboration office called “HAPPA” that shares a gallery, shop and other facilities. Among his works are “Sayama Flat”, “63.02°”, “PACO”, “House in Okusawa”, “Aesop Aoyama/Ginza”, “MR_DESIGN OFFICE”, “LLOVE”, “HANARE”, “Today’s Special Jiyugaoka/Hikarie” and “Hue plus”. He released “UDUKURI”, a series of “Flat Table”, from Established and Sons in 2012. So let's just explore 2 of his most exquisite architecture/interior designs that share a common love for stores promoting a relaxed and natural atmosphere where joyful interaction between customers and shop staff will take place.
Takeo Kikuchi SHIBUYA, Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
"When we were commissioned to design this store, it was a year after the Great Tohoku Earthquake. From experiencing such great disaster we realized the importance of communication in communities,and began to question the present situation of retail stores that are typically glass-clad buildings with no operable windows, where no interaction between street and store would happen. We were given the original plan of the new building where the store was to be opened. It showed a building entirely clad in glass curtain walls, with only one large entrance in center and a gigantic counter right in front of it. It was a natural decision for us to reconsider this original design. The site is very wide and flat, and we decided to take advantage of this uniqueness to create a place where people can freely enjoy communicating with each other; we think offering good communication is the key to retail stores of today".
Takeo Kikuchi brand offers a wide range of clothes from casual to formal and it has customers across a wide age range from twenties to fifties. Also the site is situated on Meiji Douri Avenue connecting Harajuku and Shibuya, where you can enjoy watching exciting street views and people strolling around in various fashions. We worked out a design concept that would bring all these happenings on the streets into the store.
"Today we can easily buy clothes online, and we already have enough knowledge and experiences and know how to judge good products from bad ones in our economically maturing society. What is the role a flagship store then? We think the key is to offer customers lively shopping experiences; everyone deserves a good time to really enjoy various products and to feel the essence of the brand. There are so many clothing stores in Shibuya, and we intend to make a difference by creating a store where customers can comfortably shop and stay for a long time. We locate three different places for relaxation, benches along the facade, garden, and cafe on the third floor. Shopping would not be fun if only looking at available products and listening to shop staff’s suggestions. Here customers can sit and relax, and take time to contemplate what products would suit their styles best".
"We want to inspire customers to look at things with fresh eyes and minds by revealing “extraordinariness” in ordinary things. Shelves in the atelier are made of unique combination of old and new parts of wood shelves. By slicing old wood shelf parts, fresh section of wood would surface, and that would act as mediator between the old and new materials. Old Windsor chairs are thoroughly sanded to get rid of old polish and natural wood surface is revealed. Our idea is to invert the old and the new, and they would eventually merge into each other to create something different. In the same way we would like to redefine softness and hardness. Cabinet doors are lined with leather, concrete walls are soft-patterned, and soft-shaped benches on the outside are made of concrete using fabric mold. Softness and hardness merge into each other to create new expressions we’ve never seen before."
Today's Special Jiyugaoka
CIBONE, acclaimed as Tokyo’s definitive design store, has launched their new brand TODAY'S SPECIAL. This is a series of concept stores that showcase its wide-ranging products that have been designed to enrich our daily lifestyle. The flagship store of this brand is TODAY'S SPECIAL Jiyūgaoka, which was created by redesigning CIBONE Jiyūgaoka.
"In this renovation project we aimed at making maximum changes by minimal treatment. We removed the exterior cladding that had covered CIBONE Jiyūgaoka for a decade. The interior partitions were also removed to create an open and welcoming space brimming with natural right. In the interior space, mainly prefabricated steel racks are used, while partly wooden fixtures are combined with them according to various purposes; the hardness of steel and the tenderness of wood are mixed to give comfortable refinement to the space."
http://eternal-optimist.com/section/design/schemata-architects-best-design-japan
http://schemata.jp/
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