Keiji Ashizawa designs “home-like” The Conran Shop in Hillside Terrace
CategoriesInterior Design

Keiji Ashizawa designs “home-like” The Conran Shop in Hillside Terrace

Designer Keiji Ashizawa has devised the interiors of The Conran Shop Daikanyama in Tokyo, which is located inside a building by architect Fumihiko Maki and spotlights products from Japan and Asia.

The latest outpost from British retailer The Conran Shop is located in the modernist Hillside Terrace in Daikanyama, a quiet area close to the Tokyo city centre.

The complex was designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Maki and constructed between 1967 and 1992.

Tokyo Conran Shop in Daikanyama
The Conran Shop Daikanyama was designed to resemble someone’s home

Ashizawa aimed to take the existing architecture of the two-storey building into consideration when designing the interior of The Conran Shop.

“Since the existing space had great potential, we knew that the work had to be put into elevating what was already there – thinking about the proportions of the space, the dry area and so on,” he told Dezeen.

“Although it is inside a well-known architecture, there were elements where we thought we could bring change to the inside.”

Interior of The Conran Shop Daikanyama
It features pieces by Japanese and Asian designers

These changes included turning one glass section into a solid wall.

“Glass walls were used extensively as part of the architectural concept so that the store space could be viewed through the layers of glass,” Ashizawa said.

“While building the store, we decided that there wouldn’t be a problem in making a section of the glass wall become a solid wall, considering its serenity as a space and its relationship with the street.”

Mezzanine in Conran store
A mezzanine showcases a sofa and other living room furniture

The designer created the 200-square-metre store to look like someone’s home, in a nod to the peaceful nature of the surrounding area. It features a large atrium on the ground floor, connecting it to an adjoining courtyard.

“Daikanyama is a very calm neighbourhood in Tokyo, where we wished to design a store where people could feel relaxed and away from the stimulation of the city,” Ashizawa said.

“We intended to create a space for people to stay for a long period of time and feel the space.”

Exterior of Tokyo interior store
The store is located in the iconic Hillside Terrace complex

The interior design was also based on The Conran Shop’s three keywords – plain, simple and useful – CEO of The Conran Shop Japan Shinichiro Nakahara told Dezeen.

The store’s product selection also places a special focus on Japanese and Asian design.

“Specifically for The Conran Shop Daikanyama, the selections were focused on objects from Asia, including Japan,” Nakahara said.

“The process of [founder] Terence [Conran] travelling around the world, finding and buying items in each place by himself, has not changed,” he added. “Many of the objects selected by the Conran team in Japan have a sense of craftsmanship.”

“We created the space by imagining a situation in which such objects would be displayed alongside each other. For example, the details of the objects are reflected in the interior design.”

Staircase in Japanese interior store
It features a staircase with a handrail made from black paper cords

The interior uses materials that are common in Japan including concrete, steel, wood, plaster, Japanese stone and paper.

“The use of Japanese paper in interior design is an element that is distinctively Japanese,” Ashizawa explained.

“Shoji screens are an important element in creating a Japanese-style room but I realize that they can also be well used in both functional and aesthetic ways in a modern space.”

Basement floor in Conran Shop Daikanyama
Concrete walls and shoji screens were used for the interior

The studio also used Japanese paper that had been dyed in a grey hue as wallpaper to give the space a “soft and contemporary feel.”

“Since we weren’t building an actual house but rather a home-like Conran store, the materials were thoughtfully instrumented to achieve a balance,” Ashizawa said.

The ground floor of the store holds furniture, homeware and apparel, and also has a mezzanine floor that is accessible by a staircase featuring a handrail made from black paper cords.

Gallery-like interior by Keiji Ashizawa
A gallery-like space is located on the basement floor

Ashizawa designed the basement floor, which functions both as an additional shopping area and a gallery space, to have a calmer atmosphere.

“Filled with natural light, the ground floor uses colours that bring grandeur and a sense of calmness,” he said.

“The basement floor is toned to create a more private feeling. We respected the natural colours of the materials as much as possible, while also considering the harmony with the objects on display and in the gallery.”

Clothes in Conran Shop Tokyo
The store has a neutral colour palette and wooden details

The Conran Shop Daikanyama also has an adjoining bar where visitors can enjoy teas such as sencha and macha.

Ashizawa has previously worked on a number of other projects in Tokyo, including the Bellustar Tokyo “hotel in the sky” and the Hiroo Residence.

Reference

studeny architekti embeds concrete shell house into hillside of pernek, slovakia
CategoriesArchitecture

studeny architekti embeds concrete shell house into hillside of pernek, slovakia

an underground mountain house

 

Design studio Studeny Architekti has recently completed a contemporary house in the scenic village of Pernek, Slovakia. Embedded into the earth a vast plot of land surrounded by the pristine beauty of the Small Carpathians, the Family House in Pernek embodies the studio’s vision of a simple dwelling existing in dialogue with its natural surroundings.

 

The primary objective of this project was to create a residence that makes use of the contours of the land but also harmonizes with the environment. By strategically placing the concrete house beneath a slope below the road, the architects ensured that the residents would have unobstructed views of the opposite forest, allowing them to connect with nature effortlessly. This underground placement also freed up the flat portion of the plot, which was reserved for a wide, open front yard.

studeny architekti embeds concrete shell house into a hillside in pernek, slovakiaimages © Alex Shoots Buildings @alex.shoots.buildings

 

 

the concrete shell structure by studeny architekti

 

Studeny Architekti constructs its Family House in Pernek with a unique design element — a monolithic concrete shell without internal supports. This choice not only adds structural integrity to the building but also contributes to its aesthetic appeal. Inside the house, the concrete shell remains exposed, creating a distinct visual feature. However, the facade opening out toward the south is defined by its large glass wall, opening the interior spaces broadly outward to gaze onto the wooded mountains beyond.

studeny architekti house pernek

 

 

inside the family house in pernek

 

Studeny Architekti organizes the floor plan of its Family House in Pernek in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, mirroring its longitudinal profile. This unique layout results in an interior space that feels open and free-flowing. The house consists of two floors interconnected by a stylish staircase.

 

The ground floor, in direct contact with the garden, encompasses a multifunctional area housing the living room, a work corner, the parents’ bedroom, a kitchen with a dining room, and the technical facilities of the house. On the upper floor, two children’s bedrooms, a bathroom, and an entrance area can be found. All the living spaces benefit from ample natural light and are oriented towards the garden and the forest through expansive windows.

studeny architekti house pernek
the house is built as a concrete shell with no internal supports studeny architekti house pernek
full height glazing opens onto the forest beyond through a trapezoidal frame studeny architekti house perneksliding glass doors fills the underground home with natural breezes and sunlight



Reference