cubo design architect: gallery MOMO2

‘gallery MOMO2’ by cubo design architect in tokyo, japan all images courtesy cubo design architect

kamakura-based practice cubo design architect (hitoshi saruta) has sent us images of ‘gallery MOMO2’, a renovated exhibition space for contemporary art in tokyo, japan. formerly an old printing factory, the project was conceived as a small white ‘house’ within the original garage, leaving the original outer wall untouched to maintain an unassuming, urban exterior.

entrance

featuring a narrow street elevation, the face of the project consists of a glass clad entrance with a floating volume finished in translucent corrugated panelling. the inserted white box is gently stepped back into the garage to make the slotted-in design legible from the street. unloading large pieces of artwork is made easy by a sliding glass door.

street view

with the second floor removed during the redevelopment, the exhibition space benefits from a generous ceiling height. a new area is generated near the front of the gallery which pulls up to a funnelled form and a roof light. reiterating the ‘house within a house’ concept, the roof form extrudes into a translucent volume which accommodates storage and other service programs. at night, the artificial light from the gallery illuminates this area to give the overall exterior a lantern-like appearance. 

interior view

(left) front gallery space (right) looking towards the entrance from the back

upper level

at night

light from the gallery space below

street face at night

floor plan (1) new gallery (2) original wooden gallery (3) office (4) original meeting space (5) original backyard (6) original garage