'schemata architecture office' in tokyo, japan
image © designboom


designboom recently met up with jo nagasaka of schemata architecture office
in tokyo to visit his work space and gallery. located in the meguro ward of
the capital city, the one-and-a-half-storey space employs a highly transparent face
towards the street with floor-to-ceiling tinted glazing. passing residents get
a glimpse of the exhibiting pieces in the gallery, which is hosted on the
ground level of the office.



entrance way
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the overall atmosphere of the gallery reflects schemata's design approach and method:
incorporating the old with the new, the traditional with the modern, the space is outfitted
with recycled components and materials left in their raw form: the concrete floor remains
exposed with scuff marks and textures; the display walls of the gallery consists of panels
of chip boards which have been lightly painted over in white; the office itself is hosted on
a lofted mezzanine space which largely reuses discarded materials for parts of its assembly.
the studio's recently finished project for aesop applies similar repurposing techniques
to create a space which celebrates details and a materials' many lives.



exhibiting work in the gallery space; ikuko soda exhibition
image © designboom



(left) looking into the gallery space
(right) stairs up to the office mezzanine
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office area
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looking down on to the ground floor from the office mezzanine
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tucked behind a partial gallery wall in a corner of the main floor is a small
shop space which is stocked with design objects and accessories.
a storage area which can transform into a workshop for model building
or even an impromptu meeting room rests under the loft level.



shop around the corner from the gallery space
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image © designboom



image © designboom



shelving incorporated into the structure
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workshop and storage underneath the loft
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scrapped furniture pieces are recycled and reused
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flowers and gifts from the opening of a recent exhibition
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elements of the street is brought indoors, further blurring the boundary between
interior/exterior by the floor-to-ceiling glazing. dirt, plants, and rocks are placed
along the edge of the gallery space, complimenting the natural material treatment
of the project.



tinted glazing street facade
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living plants runs along the street edge of the gallery
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a bit of the street on the inside
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exterior face
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jo nagasaka outside the schemata architecture office
portrait © designboom