Get the best of Domus straight to your inbox!

Phenomenon: En yu-An

In Tokyo Studio Phenomenon designed a showroom for Maruwakaya focused around the central counter made from Japanese cedar.

En yu-An is the salon and the showroom for Maruwakaya – the company which produces monozukuri (which means a craftsmanship or art of design and manufacturing) that links traditional crafts to Contemporary art.

The counter made from Japanese cedar is employed as the center of the room; the room is designed by applying only the lintels, the sills, and the pillars.

Fumihiko Sano／studio Phenomenon, En yu-An, Taito-Ku, Tokyo, Japan

The heights of each lintel are properly changed, and the numbers of the pillars are limited. The arrangement of the lintels and the pillars make visitors unconsciously sense the variation of the space.

The wooden structure does not affect the existing surfaces – it is simply placed inside the room, but is not fixed to the walls, floor and ceiling.