House in Jingu Mae Tokyo | Claus En Kaan Architecten

Location Tokyo
Client :Private client
Design 2005
Completion 2007
gfa 76 m2
costs € 350.000 euro

The concept of this house adresses the paradoxical quality of Tokyo being a metropolis and a village at the same time. It is at the exact geographical center of the triangle formed by the Shibuya, Shinjuku and Akasaka-mitsuke hubs. Just off an important through-street, branching off a street with small shops, to finally reach a 2 meter wide irregular path. The essence of the design is the stacking of different atmosphere units with a specific individual character that is directly derived from their immediate environment. The basis is a two-storey detached house with a small garden, consisting of kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath. The house covers the site from front to back and leaves a diagonal strip open; the rooms are consequently opened towards this enclosed garden. On top of this house sits a two-storey house of unconventional character. It contains a double height space opening towards a roof terrace that overlooks the neighbourhood. The structure is topped by a triangular access shed and a circular pavillon that only allows for looking at the sky.....more