In the middle of the Japanese capital, Unemori Architects realized the “House Tokyo” on a floor area of 26 square meters. They doubled the area of the residential building and created an open spatial structure that makes the house appear far larger than it is. The small architecture by Unemori Architects in the center of Tokyo looks like a deconstructed container: four […]

In the middle of the Japanese capital, Unemori Architects realized the “House Tokyo” on a floor area of 26 square meters. They doubled the area of the residential building and created an open spatial structure that makes the house appear far larger than it is.

The small architecture by Unemori Architects in the center of Tokyo looks like a deconstructed container: four cuboids clad in corrugated iron form a compact building. A few large windows and a glass entrance door form a house. On the outside, the building with its cool, industrial character looks like a foreign body in the middle of the traditional Japanese housing estate, but inside a different atmosphere dominates – warmth and lightness.

A geometrically structured framework of light-colored wood gives the interior its character. White furniture and walls, a terracotta-colored tiled floor and details that repeat the industrial exterior façade pick up on the calm tone of the abundance of wood. The open floor plan and staggered levels create different ceiling heights of around two to five meters.

Each floor has a function. The bedroom and bathroom are located in the semi-basement. The kitchen, living and dining areas are on the second floor. Through the recessed exterior wall above the entrance area, the architects have created space for a terrace, which is accessible from the second floor. Natural daylight illuminates all the rooms. Thanks to the open structure, Unemori Architects have not only created a generous spatial experience in a compact house, but also improved air circulation.

On a floor area of 26 square meters, the architects created a temporary townhouse with an area of 51 square meters. Thanks to the open split-level floors and the large windows, the house has a contemporary and high quality of living without compromising privacy. It is a prime architectural example of a single-family home for urban densification.

You can see more impressions of the Tiny House by Unemori Architects in the video.

All photos: © Unemori Architects, Kai Nakamura

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Computer-Aided Design: Laas marble lends a cool elegance to the lobby of a London high-rise.

Anyone entering the 172-meter-tall tower through the reflective glass facade of the south entrance may pause for a moment and wonder if this isn’t actually a cathedral or even a modern palace. This is because the entire entrance and elevator area appears to have been carved from a single large marble monolith: The gleaming white stone is traversed by an unbroken vein pattern that gives the impression that the building’s core consists of a solid block of stone. Only upon a second glance does one realize that the entire entrance area—up to the eight-meter-high ceilings—as well as the reception desk are clad in large-format slabs.

Truly an impressive project, whose minimalist simplicity hints at the meticulous planning and precision craftsmanship required to achieve this clean elegance. 100 Bishopsgate was commissioned by Brookfield Multiplex—a joint venture between the New York-based international real estate firm Brookfield and the Australian construction company Multiplex—as the developer, and the London-based architectural firm Allies and Morrison was responsible for designing the complex. Brookfield already had experience with Italian marble: the company had completed several projects in Australia in collaboration with the Carrara-based firm Euromarble. Euromarble now recommended the brilliant white STEIN, which is quarried at the Weißwasser quarry in South Tyrol near Laas in the Vinschgau Valley, about 20 kilometers west of Merano. Some of the quarry’s tunnels extend 100 meters deep into the mountain and open into halls of cathedral-like proportions. Kurt Ratschiller, product manager at Lasa Marmo, smiles as he recounts how the visiting team of architects stood here, deeply impressed by one such marble wall. Upon seeing the wall, they wanted to cut it out of the mountain in one piece and install it in the spacious lobby of the office building. This marked the birth of Lasa Marmo’s first digitally controlled project.

Although it wasn’t possible to move a slab of stone measuring eight by 30 meters, the basic idea remained and was realized in close collaboration with Euromarble. The key here lies in two innovative techniques: Lasa Marmo scans every raw stone block that arrives at its in-house factory from the quarry using a high-performance scanner. This allows the individual coloration and veining to be cataloged. Euromarble contributed the “digital dry lay” technology: Using a computer tool, planners can conveniently cut the scans virtually from their offices, thereby compiling installation and corresponding cutting patterns for every requirement.

Read more inSTEIN 8/2020.