NGK/NTK Venture Lab Tokyo
Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Located on the 13th floor of an office tower in Shinagawa, Venture Lab Tokyo is a 260㎡facility dedicated to showcasing the clients core technologies utilizing fine ceramics and promoting active engagements with potential partners to co-create products in the field of medicine, environment and next-generation vehicles.
The brief called for a reception, lounge and exhibition space within a typical open plan office space surrounded by meeting rooms and a VIP room. The distinguishing feature of the facility is an exhibition space contained within a multifaceted glass enclosure inserted into a rigid rectilinear space. Several triangular voids generated between the contrasting forms serves as functional corridors and establishes its dynamic identity.
Within the exhibition space, 9 bespoke display tables lined with gravel infused plaster evokes the raw state of ceramic. The clients core technologies are explained and illustrated in detail through AR-capable tablets and large-scale video projection. Level of privacy required for various scenarios are controlled though electrochromic films applied to all glass surfaces within the facility.
The principal proposition of the project is to propose a distinctive spatial composition that attempts to break the rigid image of a conventional working environment. The multifaceted crystalline form of the exhibition space generated voids that possessed great flexibility and make reference to the client’s corporate identity of crystallizing ceramic at a nano scale.
Residence in Ueda
Ueda, Nagano, Japan
A Housing project for a married couple in the urban area of Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, which has prospered as a castle town since ancient times and where traces of history can be seen in the cityscape.
Positioning the building diagonally at the corner of the residential area, just off the main road, resulted in the creation of triangular open spaces at all four corners of the site. The two spaces facing the road to the north were allocated for parking, whereas the two sunlit areas on the southern side were transformed into vibrant gardens, allowing natural light to filter into the interior.
Within the building, the juxtaposition of rough concrete walls cast with softwood plywood formwork and the presence of warm wooden furniture and doors creates a harmonious interplay of materials, all united by the shared language of wood grain. This harmonious coexistence of textures generates both contrast and unity within the space.
The furniture crafted from Jindai ash wood underwent a natural process of charring underground over numerous years as a buried tree. Through its deep gray-brown exterior, the essence of time's passage was ingrained within the space, adding a layer of historical significance to the environment.
This concrete residence, centered around the kitchen, will mature over time alongside the lives of the couple residing within it.
※Project by Junkan LLP
Photography © Anna Nagai