image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects

chiba manabu architects created 'weekend house alley' in kamakura-shi,
kanagawa, japan which was completed in march, 2008. kamakura is a multi-faceted,
complex city. while the city harbors a deeply rooted sense of history, at the same
time, it is known for its avant-garde attitude towards the adoption of modern sports
such as surfing and yacht racing. while often thought of as a seaside resort, it also
acts as a residential district. located by the sea, it is also surrounded by a richly
landscaped terrain. this project brings the assortment of characteristics encompassed
within the city of kamakura into a complex of commercial facilities and
multi-family housing.

the various characteristics of the city are reflected in the multitude of
ways in which this complex can be read—for instance, as housing that
can become both residence and weekend house, or as a commercial facility
that can double as office space. as opposed to the 20th century conception
of the commercial facility, which, as characterized by the theme park, uses a
giant, enclosed space to stimulate consumerism, this complex establishes a
commercial facility that opens out towards the city. using a collection of
buildings at a smaller scale closer to that of residences, it also reconnects
a variety of functions such as residences and shops, or office space and
retail that, in the 20th century, had been separated from each other.

an abundance of small alleyways that cut through the hills can be found
in kamakura. these alleys, through which you can see the ocean, are
characteristic to kamakura, and divide the complex into 7 irregularly shaped
volumes at a scale similar to that of the surrounding residences. standing
in this alley, various pieces of scenery—from the surrounding sea to the
hills and the residential district—meet your eyes and seem to converge
into the complex. at the same time this arouses a tense and excited feeling,
this complex also functions as a scale by which to discover and better
understand the charm and character of the surrounding environment.
like a freshly excavated ruin, or a newly discovered landscape, this
complex becomes a space that is at the same time dynamic and yet
somehow very familiar.

the various lives and activities to be carried out in this complex will
seep through into this alley, and establish a piece of architecture that
is always open—a new landscape in the city.


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


image © masao nishikawa
courtesy chiba manabu architects


general plan courtesy chiba manabu architects

general info:
project name: weekend house alley
period of construction: march, 2008
location: kamakura-shi, kanagawa, japan
principal use: shops, collective housing
structure: steel frame
site area: 2436.32 square meter
building area: 967.49 square meter
total floor area: 2,575.66 square meter
stories: 1 basement and 3 stories
design: chiba manabu architects
structural engineers: kanebako structual engineers
mechanical engineers: kankyo engineering inc.
general contractors: obayashi corporation
photographer: masao nishikawa