该项目将位于东京港区的一间旧理发店改造为了一个小型的零售空间。业主对于设计并没有提出明确的要求，只希望该空间可以在一年中作为服装展示间使用数次。既有的墙壁和天花板由石膏板制成，地面铺设以油毡。为了从这一看似平庸的空间中发现更多有用的线索，建筑师决定在改造空间之前在现场“驻扎”一段时间。

The renovation of a small retail space previously used as a barber in Shirokane, Minato Ward did not occur with any particular request from the owner: except that the location will be used as an apparel showroom several times a year. In addition, the existing walls and ceiling of the space was made in plasterboard, with linoleum floor covering. In order to discover more from this banal space that has no particular feature or use, I decided to proceed and redesign the space while staying on site.

▼建筑外观，exterior view

在这段时间内，建筑师注意到，建筑前方的街道并非表面看上去的那样“荒废”，实际上在附近大型办公楼和大使馆的影响下，这里全天都有大量的行人路过。然而，建筑内部却有着与街道完全不同的氛围，给人一种洞穴般的感受。考虑到新的建筑仅为少量的使用者提供服务，建筑师试图进一步突显出空间的固有本质，按照他在现场所感受到的那样，将其打造为一个如洞穴般自然且没有任何功能预设的场所。

What I noticed during my stay was that the street in front of the property—seemingly deserted shopping avenue—is, in fact, populous throughout days and nights, thanks to large corporate buildings and embassies nearby. Inside this building, however, was somehow gloomy, lending a cave-like ambience to the space. Given that the renewed architecture will be used by a limited number of people, I attempted to positively expand the nature inherent to the space as I felt it to be while on site, and imagined how the space can be turned into a place like a cave—natural as it is, and devoid of any preconditioned use.

▼临街立面，street facade

▼从室内望向街道，view to the street from interior

▼室内细部，detailed view

在此基础上，建筑师试图通过隐藏最基本的功能设施来改善空间质量，例如尽可能地隐藏开关和其他线路设备，并将墙面、地板和天花板的材料简单地暴露出来。嵌入式结构由环氧树脂饰面的雪松木制成，黑色的墙面将室内的景象微妙地反射出来。近距离观察时，烤过的雪松木会呈现出粗糙的纹理，并且会随着时间和观察距离的变化呈现出不同的质感。其他的材料也经过了精心挑选，共同为空间带来的多层次的独特印象。

Therefore, I attempted to change the quality of the space by hiding the most functional necessities —such as switches and other facilities—as much as possible, and simply exposing the materials of the wall, floor, and ceiling. The furniture on the front is made of baked cedar coated with epoxy resin, and the blackened wall surface has a dimly reflection of the entire space like a large cast of shadow. Looking closer, you will see the rough texture of the baked cedar beyond the surface, and the impression of the material changes according to the distance and time. Other materials were selected and developed to enhance their characteristics of multiple layers of impressions.

▼通过隐藏最基本的功能设施来改善空间质量，to change the quality of the space by hiding the most functional necessities

▼可折叠家具，the foldable furniture pieces

▼环氧树脂饰面的雪松木墙面，the baked cedar surface coated with epoxy resin

▼墙面细部，the blackened wall surface

既有建筑的立面原先只有一半覆盖着装饰砖面，但展现出了一种迷人的特征。对此，建筑师提出了一种方法，能够在保留砖面的同时为立面赋予新的观感。砖材的装饰功能得到了重新考量，并以新的样貌重新出现在建筑的基础部分：增强水泥板被切割成精确的尺寸，覆盖在每一块既有的砖面之上。这些切割的水泥板展现出了一种不均匀性，原始的砖面可以从水泥板的缝隙中看到，为外观赋予了具有深度的立体感。该设计通过分离装饰性材料的原有功能，以另一种视角探索了新立面设计的可能性。

▼立面窗洞，a circle window in the facade

The facade of the existing building was covered only halfway with decorative bricks, but it possessed an unique and attractive look. So I devised a way to leave the bricks as they are, and also to attain the facade with the new look at the same time. In this the process of redesign, the decorative function of the bricks was reconsidered and given a new role as a foundation of the new surface layer built on top. The reinforced cement board is cut to the exact size: each piece attached on top of the existing brick. Because the cut cement board reflects the unevenness of the underlying brick, and the wall surface is slightly wavy. The original bricks are visible in the open gap, giving the surface a semi-stereoscopic sense of depth. The attempt explores the possibility of a new surface design by giving it another perspective and detaching the decorative material from its original function.

▼增强水泥板被切割成精确的尺寸，覆盖在每一块既有的砖面之上，the reinforced cement board is cut to the exact size: each piece attached on top of the existing brick

这次改造使建筑师回想起童年时期与朋友一起建造的秘密游乐场。一个只为他们所知的、没有任何功能预设的空间与那种会影响人们行为的公共空间不同，它会催生出各种各样的乐趣并引发新的意识。建筑师希望这个“无用空间”也能够取得意想不到的发展。

The renovation project reminded me of the secret play field that my friends and I constructed in our childhood. A space that is known only to us and has no preconditioned use could become a source for fun and opens up new awareness unlike public spaces that condition people’s behaviour. I look forward to seeing the unexpected development of this “space of no use”.

▼夜景，night view

▼原始建筑外观，the original building

▼平面图，plan