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.
Funky Chateau Wine Cave
Ueda, Nagano, Japan
A wine storage facility surrounded by picturesque mountains and breathtaking scenery nestled at the foot of Mt. Komayumi in Aoki Village, Nagano Prefecture.
Considering the soil's suitability for winemaking at this site, the idea emerged to utilize it as the finishing material for the exterior walls. This approach resulted in a building that is seamlessly connected to the land.
Additionally, by embedding half of the building into the ground, heat insulation and thermal performance were enhanced, resulting in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment ideal for wine storage.
The chilled storage space consists of solid concrete walls devoid of windows, effectively minimizing heat transfer. An emblem inspired by the rising sun over Mt. Komayumi is located within the hammered finished alcove at the end of the space.
The textured concrete surface, bathed in a beam of light, captures the essence of passing time and the seasonal ambiance within the interior.
Our aim was to create a building that reflects the terroir of the region. This was achieved by minimizing artificial elements and instead utilizing the land itself as a primary material in the creation of the space.
※Project by Junkan LLP
Photography © Anna Nagai