Tsutaya Books by Klein Dytham Architecture in Tokyo
All eyes were on Japan's leading book, music and movie retail giant, Tsutaya, as the doors to T-site - promising a new vision of the future of retailing - opened in Tokyo in mid-December. The innovative new-generation complex has already confounded the recent dismal trend of bookstore closures with its creative combination of classic and cutting edge shopping, dining and entertainment with exceptional design.
Located in Tokyo's up-scale Daikanyama shopping district, the site combines three low-slung elegant pavilions connected via a 'magazine street' providing a smooth integration of the interior and landscaped outdoors within a relaxed village-like setting. The 'library-in-a-forest' design concept was created by Tokyo-based British architects Klein Dytham Architects who won the design commission from a star-studded list of 70 Japanese architects thanks largely to their witty reflection of the well-known eponymous brand in the T-inspired site layout, building shape and distinctive logo-perforated screen facade.
'We were not the favourites to win the design competition,' says Kda founder Mark Dytham, 'but integrating the brand into the very fabric of the site and structure appealed to Tsutaya's owner, Muneaki Masuda, who wanted to do something completely different. This is also the case with the interiors, for which we worked closely together to create a new cultural experience.'
Masuda delisted the company from the Tokyo Stock Exchange so he would have complete freedom over the design and content of the project. Happily, the result is an enticing showcase of Tsutaya's art, design, fashion and travel books and magazines, together with a luxury convenience store and a jazz club bar lounge, all with an unusually spacious and curated feel.
The complementary blend of old and new from print to digital media is seamless: RIFID tagged books and DVDs, iPads, DVDs burnt onto disc while you wait, self-service check out consoles, and people tracking are satisfyingly efficient but unobtrusive. Sandblasted wooden flooring, retro leather furniture, and an interesting selection of vinyl and classic artworks together with highly experienced staff (there is even a dedicated in-house travel concierge) are reassuringly familiar.
A hammered-steel central staircase created by Japanese craftsmen provides a statement entrance to the upstairs Anjin lounge bar and performance space with its vast selection of vintage design magazines and books. KDA's sure handed design is again evident here with their bespoke book-lined bar and tables.
Elsewhere, custom-designed displays like floor-to-ceiling glass towers displaying beautifully crafted pens and the stylish graphics by Muji art director Kenya Hara transform the shopping experience.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Pininfarina Battista Reversario is a new one-off electric hypercar
The all-electric Pininfarina Battista Reversario is joining its aesthetic inverse in an ultra-select car collector’s garage. We take a look at a car built to a very precise order
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Fernando Jorge’s fluid diamond earrings show his curve appeal
Discover Brazilian jewellery designer Fernando Jorge's snake-like silhouettes and graphic shapes
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Abreham Brioschi debuts Ethiopia-inspired rugs for Nodus
Abreham Brioschi teams up with luxury rug experts Nodus to translate visions from his heritage into a tactile reality
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji Published
-
Marcio Kogan’s Studio MK27 celebrated in this new monograph from Rizzoli
‘The Architecture of Studio MK27. Lights, camera, action’ is a richly illustrated journey through the evolution of this famed Brazilian architecture studio
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Interior sculptor’ Christophe Gevers’ oeuvre is celebrated in new book
‘Christophe Gevers’ is a sleek monograph dedicated to the Belgian's life work as an interior architect, designer, sculptor and inventor, with unseen photography by Jean-Pierre Gabriel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Flick through ‘Brutal Wales’, a book celebrating concrete architecture
‘Brutal Wales’ book zooms into a selection of concrete Welsh architecture treasures through the lens of photographer Simon Phipps
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architecture books to inspire shelf love
Here at Wallpaper*, we’ve got architecture books piling up; among them, these are the photographic tomes, architects’ monographs and limited editions that we couldn’t resist
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Pioneering modernist Henry Kulka's life and career tracked in limited-edition monograph
Czech-New Zealand architect Henry Kulka, a man who spread modernist ideals half way around the world, is celebrated in Giles Reid and Mary Gaudin’s richly illustrated monograph
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Nordic architecture explored in Share, a book about contemporary building
Discussions about Nordic architecture and contemporary practice meet in a new book by Artifice, Share: Conversations about Contemporary Architecture – The Nordic Countries
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
London Feeds Itself: we are hungry for Open City's book on food and architecture
London Feeds Itself, a new book by Open City, is a scrumptious offering that connects food culture and architecture
By Nick Compton Last updated
-
The Sustainable City chronicles London’s eco design innovation
Urban areas provide the best environment for ultra-low-impact living; that's the premise of Harriet Thorpe’s new book, The Sustainable City, which brings together the architecture that's shaping London’s quiet green revolution
By Jonathan Bell Last updated