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Architects: Hiroyuki Ito Architects
- Area: 877 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Masao Nishikawa
Text description provided by the architects. The site is situated between an alley and a shopping street. Despite the presence of low-rise buildings on the alley side, a 10-story apartment complex is currently under construction on the adjacent lot, while super high-rise condominiums are being erected behind it.
The landscape of the area is constantly evolving. Maintaining the alleys in their current state proves impractical from perspectives of disaster prevention and land utilization. Conversely, entirely replacing them with super high-rise structures risks erasing the unique essence of the locality. Is it feasible to preserve certain aspects of the alley while acknowledging the varying scale of buildings on either side of the site?
To shift focus towards the alley, we opted to position the entrances to the residences and the sub-entrances of the stores there. Subsequently, we chose to create side apertures between the residential units on each floor to enhance the illumination and ventilation of the east corridor, which suffers from inadequate lighting and ventilation due to the imposing wall of the adjacent building. However, aligning the horizontal apertures vertically resulted in an overly spacious atrium on the exterior, disproportionate to the alley's scale. Additionally, the scattered horizontal apertures, offset only at the top and bottom, proved ineffective in adequately illuminating the hallway.
Hence, in order to establish a vertical linkage within the structure while maintaining harmony with the external surroundings, we opted to integrate both straight and curved horizontal apertures. This approach allows us to preserve the scale of the exterior while enhancing internal connectivity. Moreover, by facilitating a point of interaction between the individual dwellings and communal spaces, such as incorporating balconies reminiscent of those found in alley homes, we can foster a seamless connection with the external environment. This continuity extends beyond mere visual perspectives.
