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Architects: SIDES CORE
- Area: 73 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs: Takumi Ota
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Lead Architects: Sohei Arao
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Lighting Consultants: Daiko Electric, Daiko Electric Company Limited
Text description provided by the architects. This project is an independent salon for a stylist couple. As they used to belong to two separate salons, they have different client lists, so we combined cozy personal spaces with more expansive areas so that each can welcome their clients in comfort.
The basement-level tenant has a private staircase and dry area, and there are two existing doors to allow subdivision into two zones. We treated the two doors as symbolic elements opening onto a 3m-long stepped counter in the front of the interior. This area splits guests’ circulation routes between left and right and serves as a buffer zone, providing distance to the two cutting areas. Two sheer curtains generate just enough relaxation. Low partitions and the dry area combine to give a spacious feel.
The salon’s name, “Tagi,” means a place that offers various ways of interacting with other aspects of culture, not just hair. The stepped counter and wire-suspended hanger pipes are used as apparel sale spaces for items sourced by the owners. On days when the salon is closed, it is also used as a pop-up shop and a venue for local events.
Various functional elements, like mirrors, display fixtures, curtains, and lighting, are suspended from seven parallel hanger wires so they can be added, removed, and rearranged. The wires are kept taut by hanging weights, a symbolic detail that adds an agreeable sense of tension to Tagi’s interior.
We hope this generous space, where people can step away from street-level bustle, will foster diverse human interaction.
