Yuji Tanabe has completed a thorough conversion of a tired, existing commercial building in the pretty resort town of Karuizawa in Japan, into a modern, flexible office space. The structure, which used to host a restaurant, has now been updated with contemporary design strokes inside, and a modern folly structure just outside the main building, aiming to bring some fun and lightness into the composition.
The original structure occupied a V-shaped footprint, with one wing spanning two levels and the other just one. The redesign maintained this arrangement, dedicating the whole ground floor to workspace, interspersed with break areas and a cafe for users to relax and socialise. The cafe spills out onto a large terrace, where guests can enjoy the site's – and wider area's – green scenery.
By reinforcing structural columns, the architects were able to free the interior from many partitions, especially on the upper level that was previously divided into small, darker rooms. In fact, subtle, technical but necessary changes were made throughout to bring the space to the 21st century and meet the demands of a contemporary workspace, such as ensuring there are hidden cable racks in various spots, adding insulation to promote natural heat retention in the winter and replacing the old ventilation system with a new, more energy efficient one.
In a similar way, the landscaping outside was cleared to give way to pathways and the site's signature tree – the birch. The grey painted, geometric timber folly – which matches the tone on the main building's cedar wood cladding – is also placed just outside the main entrance, providing extra seating space among the trees. The colour was selected to be as unobtrusive as possible and the set up references local design traditions: ‘The higher level allows people to sit more freely, like sitting on an Engawa, an edging strip of floor surrounding the inner part of a house in Japanese traditional architecture,' says Tanabe.
INFORMATION
-
Messika’s fluid jewellery is given a textural twistThe Parisian brand borrows a textural finish previously reserved for high jewellery with its new collection, ‘Move Ciselé’
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshopNew Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in JapanTakeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
-
Naoshima New Museum of Art is a home for Asian art, and a lasting legacy, in Seto Inland SeaThe Naoshima New Museum of Art opens, marking a seminal addition to the Japanese island's renowned Benesse Art Site Naoshima; we explore Tadao Ando's design
-
Behind a contemporary veil, this Kyoto house has tradition at its coreDesigned by Apollo Architects & Associates, a Kyoto house in Uji City is split into a series of courtyards, adding a sense of wellbeing to its residential environment
-
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa on harmony, nature and their RIBA gongThe SANAA duo are celebrating their RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 in London today, and talked to us about self-reflection, the year ahead, and the need to create harmony in our environment
-
New book 'I-IN' brings together Japanese heritage and minimalist architecture at its finestJapanese architecture studio I-IN flaunts its expert command of 21st-century minimalism in a new book by Frame Publishers
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Ireland is having a moment in JapanAt 2025 Expo Osaka, a new sculpture for the Irish pavilion brings together two nations for a harmonious dialogue between place and time, material and form
-
Tour the brutalist Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo's newest urban hubGinza Sony Park opens in all its brutalist glory, the tech giant’s new building that is designed to embrace the public, offering exhibitions and freely accessible space
