'iron gallery' by kwas, tokyo, japan
all images courtesy kwas


the 'iron gallery' is a gallery for antiques and art dealer office in tokyo, japan completed by japanese practice kwas, short for
kensuke watanabe architecture studio. entirely sheathed in corrugated and rusted steel, the four-storey structure is wedged onto a narrow plot
along a bustling city arterial road. with a footprint of 24.73 square meters and total area of 100 square meters, the construct is bordered
on two sides by existing highrises and the chamfered front elevation accentuates the building's narrow profile. close discussion and collaboration
between the architect, contractor and structural engineer allowed the project's construction to be completed within 47 days. prefabrication
off-site including the superstructure before arriving onsite and the units were welded directly to the steel piles with emphasis was placed
on sealing voids to ensure watertightness. the maintenance free cor-ten steel will continue to age with time, supporting the antique contents
contained inside the galleries.

the facade's surface was forged creating ribs for extra strength while shadow effects cast by the sun subtly shift the exterior's appearance.
oriented toward the north, visitors see a natural green area through a large vertical window, extending the small spaces with borrowed
views of the city.



exterior view



exterior view from narrow side



shade of the ribs on facade



gallery interior



staircase



cor-ten steel appears when opening the window



aerial view



construction of facade panel



facade panels before fixing


 
floor plan / levels 0, 1, 2, 3



sections



composition diagram of the building


project info:


location: azabujuban, tokyo
use: antique gallery. office
site area: 27.33m2
size: steel construction 4 story
total: 97.33m2
client: mori building co. ltd
contractor: eiger co. ltd, noriaki fujii, koji misaki
architect: kwas/kensuke watanabe architecture studio, kensuke watanabe
structure: k. nakata & associates, katsuo nakata, takashi takamizawa
steel fabrication: tokyo kentetsu, kenji sasaki, shuuji matsushima, masamoto kondo



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