yoko takaike architects designs two small, playful office buildings in tokyo

the first building resembles a large flowerpot, while the second one is characterized by an excessively steep pitch roof.

sofia lekka angelopoulou July 30, 2020 2 min

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yoko takaike architects has designed two small, playful office buildings, each with its own personality, near tokyo‘s sinjuku station. combining reinforced concrete with brick tiles, the first building resembles a large flowerpot thanks to the curved balconies that allow plants and people to coexist. a few steps down the road, the second building is characterized by an excessively steep pitch roof that provides maximum space inside.

yoko takaike architects designs two small, playful office buildings in tokyo all images © kai nakamura

yoko takaike architects has designed the two small office buildings in a neighborhood characterized by a mixture of medium-sized business constructions and old wooden detached houses. ‘when you enter the back alley, people’s lives, such as plants and bicycles ooze out, and create a rustic landscape,’ the japanese architect explains. built at the same time, both buildings comprise three stories each, while their design focuses on the blend between external and internal relationships. concrete curved balconies house a variety of plants

‘yoyogi office 1’ is a building that resembles a large flowerpot, where plants grown on all three levels to eventually join each other in the future. the curved balconies on the upper level add a playful character to the project, while large sliding windows enhance the relationship between outside and in. the reinforced concrete construction is complete with unevenly-colored, glazed brick tiles that add warmth to the entire building.

bird's eye view of the first office building

in ‘yoyogi office 2’, yoko takaike has designed a building characterized by an excessively steep pitch roof that creates a large diagonal space inside. at its highest point, the interior area below the roof provides a 5.8 m tall space. looking at the surrounding scenery from the terrace on the third floor, one feels as if being in an air pocket within the big city.
each of the three levels of the first office building contains plants interior of the ground level of the first office building a circular neon light on the ceiling of the first buildng's ground level large sliding windows connect the inside with the outside the first office building emits warm light at night yoko takaike architects tops the second building with an excessively steep pitch roof the second office building by yoko takaike architects bare concrete and white walls combine inside the second building yoko takaike architects designs two small, playful office buildings in tokyo - 1

project info:

name: office buildings in yoyogi 1 and 2

architect: yoko takaike architects

location: sinjuku, tokyo, japan

yoyogi office 1:

main use: office

building area: 42.70 m2

floor area: 106.12 m2

yoyogi office 2

main use: office, restaurant

building area: 58.51 m2

floor area: 141.3 m2