Architect Kunihiko Matsuba from TYRANT Inc. renovated and opened-up five buildings owned by Ajiroen, a long-established retail shop specialized in Japanese tea in Yokoyama-cho, Hachioji. The project transformed the former spaces into cultural and commercial facilities for locals.
Ajirochaya
Five buildings that recap the architectural history of a small neighborhood in Hachioji, Japan, have been renovated by Kunihiko Matsuba and opened-up to locals.
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- 28 March 2017
- Hachioji
Located in a rectangular plot between Koshu Kaido Avenue and a public walk on the north and south sides, five buildings stand close together: two storehouses (kura) built in the late 19th century, a Japanese-style house and a shop built immediately after World War II, and a reinforced concrete building built in the late 1960s. As part of this project, a small town block was created as a conglomeration of the history of Hachioji. The former shop was rebuilt, with a garden path that crosses the plot and creates small niches.
Ajiroen is a new two-story steel-frame building constructed where the former shop was located and functions as the new main gate to the whole conglomeration. The concave ceiling follows the form of the house-like roof, giving the impression of a traditional Japanese house. Some rooms are designed as shop areas while others are for rent.
Ajirochaya, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
Program: renovation and addition
Architects: Kunihiko Matsuba – TYRANT Inc.
Stuctural engineering: Tatsumi Terado Structural Studio
Landscape: Yoshiki Mishima – FOLK Landscape Architecture, Inc.
Lighting: Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design
Site area: 610 sqm
Built area: 106 sqm
Completion: 2017