‘yotsuya tenera’ by key operations inc., tokyo, japan image © toshihiro sobajima

japanese studio key operations inc. has created ‘yotsuya tenera’ a multi-unit apartment building in tokyo. immersed in a residential neighborhood surrounded by shrines, temples and dense housing developments, the building looks to create a protected but penetrable environment that encourages interaction between the homeowners, their space and their surroundings.

set back on the site, the l-shaped building forms a communal courtyard that visually blends the stark and dominant volume with the natural and built environment that encompasses it. a soft and wood-textured concrete looks to create a harmonious appearance that diffuses the buildings mass and relates to the context of the encircling neighborhood.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 2 entrance image © toshihiro sobajima

twelve units are structured around two internal staircases, which extend through the building and terminate at the shared rooftop terrace. a network of internal terraces and balconies merge the boundaries between private and public space, acting as  transitional areas that connects the stairway with the private dwellings. exposed and accessible in their design, the integrated spaces – separated by a series of thin galvanized metal bars – intend to create a stronger sense of community and interaction among dwellers. open to the exterior environment, the core circulation space introduces natural light and ventilation into the depths of the building and each of the homes. 

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 3 staircase image © toshihiro sobajima

every unit has been formed to surround the central voids, its shape and layout governed by the staircase and

its position within the larger building. natural, organic and bright, the interior units – available as a studio,

one bedroom or two bedroom flats –  contrast the cold industrial aesthetic of the shared spaces.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 4 staircase with skylight image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 5 skylight image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 6 entry to units images © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 7 terrace and staircase image © KOP

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 8 (left) terrace (right) entrance image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 9 corridor in private unit image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 10 kitchen and dining room image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 11 exterior image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 12 courtyard image © toshihiro sobajima

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 13 floor plan / level 0 image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 14 floor plan / level 1 image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 15 floor plan / level 2 image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 16 north elevation image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 17 south elevation image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 18 west elevation image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 19 east elevation image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 20 section image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 21 section image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 22 diagram of staircases and internal terraces image courtesy of key operations inc.

key operation inc.: yotsuya tenera - 23 diagram of layout image courtesy of key operations inc.