On the coast of Japan, in Tottori, on the South-West of the country, Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) has designed Takahama Café, a cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete structure.
A cafè-observatory: the staircase to the Japanese sky by Kengo Kuma
The Tottori Takahama Café is a hybrid structure stepping upward to become an observatory.
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- Lucia Brandoli
- 03 January 2023
The building, overlooking sand dunes and the sea, gently blends in with the landscape, remembering something in between a sand dune and a trunk. On the top of the bar on two floors that is located inside, there is a panoramic terrace, shaded by a wooden pergola. Warm lighting and materials give the project a simple and intimate atmosphere.
As an homage to the city of Tottori, well-known for mingei (Japanese folk crafts), the team incorporated into the interior design of the café local craftsmanship light pendants made of Washi paper sprinkled with local sand, and the bathroom sinks are made using a combination of green and black glazing by Nakai-Gama – a pottery workshop based in Tottori that follows the cultural vision of mingei.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.