Project posted by Koki Sugawara

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Architect
Interior Design

From Koki Sugawara

It is the flagship store of "kearny," a Japanese eyewear brand, located in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The concept is inspired by residential neighborhoods.

I wanted to cherish the oasis-like residential streets amidst the competition of consumption.

In Tokyo's residential areas, it is common to build a wall by stacking concrete blocks or similar materials on the boundaries of the property.

This not only physically excludes others but also visualizes the boundaries of one's own property.

Of course, simply enclosing the property with block walls would not allow access, so gates are installed between the blocks.

And there is a small gap between the gate and the entrance of the building, just a few steps apart.

If the blocks and gates create a frame for the street, then the gap is like decorative elements within the frame.

The frame is decorated by the residents, including both literal decorations and the traces of daily life.

This is not the same as the commercial competition focused on beauty and ideas that inspire admiration. It is the rawness of everyday life.

In this project, we incorporated elements of residential neighborhoods into the store design.

To achieve this, the behavior of road boundaries and entrances in residential areas was considered in the design.

The building is situated right at the edge of the road, leaving no room for spaciousness.

To create a space between the road and the entrance, the outer wall of the building serves as the boundary, and the entrance is set back inside the building.

By making the building the visual boundary, an arched gate was installed.

Intentionally, there is a step to be taken while passing through the gate, emphasizing the act of entering through the gate and crossing the boundary.

In commercial facilities or public spaces, boundaries can be crossed without much thought.

However, I wanted to create a slight psychological shift when crossing the boundary, similar to visiting the home of an acquaintance or friend.

Inside, the walls and ceilings are mostly left as they were, except for necessary areas, and the sales floor is created by placing fixtures.

By minimizing fixed fixtures and shelves, it becomes easier to rearrange the sales floor according to the products.

This approach allows not only selling eyewear but also various products selected by the owner.