htmn: fantasmagorle

‘fantasmagorle’ by htmn, shizuoka, japan all images courtesy of htmn

japanese firm htmn has recently completed a renovation to a small one-bedroom apartment in nishi-misono, japan. the twenty five year-old reinforced walls of the previous structure outlined the two bedrooms, kitchen and dining room, but left no flexibility in the program. with the bedroom adjacent to the exterior balcony the architects stripped away its hardwood floor, finishing it with a polished concrete finish, accessible through a slideable window from the terrace or an internal door defining a semi-indoor mixed-use area ideal for the storage of larger mobile items such as sports equipment or for activities that may otherwise ruin a pristine delicate wooden floor. the new connection from this space to the main volume is a fixed solid partition of glass, covered with two semi-opaque films, that blurs a mosaic of colors and shadows from the activity in each functional element and illuminates the interior like a natural lamp.   

glass partition between living room and new multi-use space

living room

glass dividing screen

living room

converted bedroom

new semi-interior room

floor plan / level 0 : after

floor plan / level 0 : before