Architects:Koyori

Area:62m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Junichi Usui

Manufacturers:ModuleX

Lead Architects:Nahoko Nakamura (koyori)

Construction:Maruchu　Archibuild, Shogo Fukuda

Lighting:Modulex Inc., Satoshi Odani

Furniture:Fuukei, Keisuke Sato

Atelier Salt:Yoji Fujiwara

City:Kyoto

Country:Japan

Text description provided by the architects. loose Kyoto is a coffee and donut shop located in Kyoto’s Shimizuzaka. This is their plan for the second store. The location is a prominent Kyoto machiya situated in the Nakagyo Ward, at the heart of Kyoto.

Many of the building’s components were in a deteriorated state, but they chose to perceive their condition as a value woven by time and focused on the core concept of the plan, which is to carry out minimal repairs and reuse the building. Considering the nature of a Kyoto machiya, where many parts of the existing structure were finished with wood and earth-based materials, they decided to incorporate elements such as “doma” (earthen floor) and “susa” (straw), which are not commonly seen today, into the middle coating. They believed that these elements would develop a more unique expression over time due to aging.

Furthermore, they utilized vintage bricks and raw-cut wood to create tables, chairs, and other harmonizing materials, arranging them in a contemporary spatial design to produce a serene atmosphere.

Project gallery

Project location

Address:City of kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan