Directory

Yoyogi House

Front Office Tokyo

Architects Directory 2008

William Galloway, 38, and Koen Klinkers, 35, met while studying urban planning at the University Tokyo, after Galloway studied in Canada and Klinkers at Delft Technical University under Adriaan Geuze. After a spell with JUMP Studios and Matthew Priestman in London, Galloway moved to Japan, while Klinkers interned in the studios of Monolab, Arons and Gelauff before heading for Fumiko Maki's office. Front Office was set up in 2005. Their approach combines academic rigour with an interest in the complex mechanics of the Japanese property market, inspired by the work of OMA, H & de M, as well as work by late masters Togo Murano and Kenzo Tange. 'Really, our goal with residential design is to make places that have lasting value for their inhabitants,' say the architects, although they admit that their academic background makes them more aware of 'larger abstract issues'.

Buildings

FRONT OFFICE - JAPAN
Yoyogi House, click here to see more
Recent work has treated the urban chaos of Tokyo like any other piece of terrain, 'allowing us the freedom of abandoning the almost standard approach of framing, filtering, or otherwise escaping the city' in favour of buildings that 'revel in their location'. A hands on approach means that they 'occasionally indulge in a bit of building ourselves', as well as pay close attention to materials and construction techniques. The recent Yoyogi House is designed to 'show something of the act of construction,' an approach they admit is rather perverse in Japan. Tokyo provides the perfect environment, a city that has 'somehow managed to mature without ossifying - experimentation and adaptation to contemporary demands are still part of the city's DNA.'

Architects Directory 2008

INFORMATION

Address
Mita Townhouse 4B
Mita 2-chome 7-22
Minato-ku, Tokyo

Telephone
81.3 5484 3441

Website
http://www.frontofficetokyo.com
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