Nendo designs a café and office inside Kenzo Tange’s Sogetsu Kaikan

  • 2 minute read
Share
Tweet
Pin it
Share
Share
Share

Designed by one of the pioneers of modern Japanese architecture, Kenzo Tange, the Sogetsu Kaikan building houses the Sogetsu Foundation Headquarters, the Sogetsu Ikebana and other creative activities, an impressive stone garden installation by Isamu Noguchi, as well as offices, including Tange’s own offices.

Completed in 1977, the building shows no signs of aging: its characteristic mirrored and angular curtain wall exterior reflects the greenery from the Akasaka Estate opposite, while allowing for clear and unobstructed views by diagonally cutting through its L-shaped form.

Within this structure, design studio nendo has completed both an office and a café that clearly reference the building’s external aesthetics.

connel café

Kenzo Tange originally created this space to frame the views of the Akasaka Estate and the Korekiyo Takahashi Memorial Park and to overlook the Isamu Noguchi installation in the plaza below.

nendo’s intention was to rework this space in a way that would bring out its qualities and merits as originally conceived so, in order to preserve the views, the original interiors were left largely intact.

A wooded “stream” tile designed by nendo was fitted on floors and counters throughout the space to unify the bi-partitioned area. The original Tulip Chairs by Eero Saarinen were refurbished for reuse with a new matte black finish, while their accompanying Tulip tables were also repaired and refinished, their tops fitted with the same grey mirrored material as the ceiling. A similar gloss black mirror finish was used on the countertops so as to create an even greater sense of consistency within the room.

The café is chiefly managed by nendo, and is named connel; a play on the japanese word “koneru”, meaning “to knead or to mold”, as in molding a piece of clay (the word “nendo” itself means clay in Japanese).

The café’s logo is formed from the ‘n’ from the nendo logo bent to form two ‘c’s. Taking the concept one step further, the handles on connel’s mugs have been molded by hand, giving each one a unique shape, while the stirring sticks, designed to stand upright, are made from tin so that they will gradually soften and change their form over time.

Aoyama office

For the renovation of the Aoyama office space, the interior layout was designed to reflect the building’s planar construction and angular floor plans.

Following the L-shaped lines of flow and diagonal shafts as closely possible, the exterior curtain wall was also replicated internally. Duplicating the coloring of the half-mirrored exterior and sashes was a particular challenge for nendo, and the desired effect was achieved only after extensive experimentation with a wide variety of IR reflecting paints and coatings. To accentuate the effect of the reflection, the paneled flooring was fitted in direct relation to the walls.

The result is an interior design that respects the character of the building’s exterior architecture, and allows for a strong sense of the form of the building as a whole.

Photos by Daici Ano, Takumi Ota (interior)
Collaborator : Masumi Hotta (NOMURA Co.,Ltd)

 

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
You May Also Like
122 comments

  58. I am really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..

  61. great post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I’m confident, you have a huge readers’ base already!

  65. I have discovered that wise real estate agents everywhere are Promoting. They are realizing that it’s not just placing a sign in the front property. It’s really pertaining to building relationships with these traders who sooner or later will become customers. So, while you give your time and efforts to aiding these sellers go it alone : the “Law associated with Reciprocity” kicks in. Great blog post.

  69. Yet another thing I would like to state is that rather than trying to match all your online degree tutorials on days and nights that you end work (since the majority people are drained when they get back), try to obtain most of your lessons on the saturdays and sundays and only a few courses on weekdays, even if it means taking some time off your saturday and sunday. This is fantastic because on the week-ends, you will be a lot more rested and concentrated for school work. Thanks a bunch for the different suggestions I have realized from your website.

  76. Hi! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Many thanks

  77. Great blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely confused .. Any ideas? Thank you!

  80. Howdy this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

  86. canada cloud pharmacy [url=http://certifiedcanadapills.pro/#]canadian pharmacy ltd[/url] certified canadian pharmacy

  88. I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!

  90. A person essentially assist to make severely articles I’d state. That is the very first time I frequented your website page and up to now? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this actual put up extraordinary. Wonderful process!

  91. Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog site is in the very same niche as yours and my users would truly benefit from a lot of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this ok with you. Thank you!

  92. I do enjoy the way you have framed this situation plus it does indeed supply me a lot of fodder for consideration. Nonetheless, through everything that I have personally seen, I just wish as the commentary pack on that people remain on point and not embark on a soap box of the news of the day. Yet, thank you for this superb piece and although I can not really agree with the idea in totality, I value your viewpoint.

  93. I do love the manner in which you have presented this particular problem plus it really does give me personally some fodder for consideration. Nonetheless, from everything that I have seen, I basically wish when other feedback stack on that men and women remain on point and don’t embark on a soap box associated with some other news du jour. Yet, thank you for this superb point and while I can not go along with the idea in totality, I value the perspective.

  94. It’s my belief that mesothelioma is most deadly cancer. It has unusual qualities. The more I really look at it a lot more I am convinced it does not respond like a real solid tissue cancer. In the event that mesothelioma is actually a rogue viral infection, hence there is the chance for developing a vaccine as well as offering vaccination for asbestos uncovered people who are vulnerable to high risk with developing foreseeable future asbestos associated malignancies. Thanks for giving your ideas about this important ailment.

  95. of course like your website but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I will certainly come back again.

  96. Hi there! Quick question that’s completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My weblog looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to correct this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Appreciate it!

  97. I might also like to convey that most individuals that find themselves with out health insurance are typically students, self-employed and people who are jobless. More than half from the uninsured are really under the age of Thirty-five. They do not come to feel they are wanting health insurance because they are young in addition to healthy. Their own income is usually spent on property, food, and entertainment. A lot of people that do go to work either entire or in their free time are not given insurance by means of their jobs so they head out without due to the rising cost of health insurance in the country. Thanks for the strategies you reveal through this web site.

  98. Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thanks, However I am encountering problems with your RSS.
    I don’t understand why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody having identical RSS issues?
    Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!

  101. I’m really loving the theme/design of your web site. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems? A couple of my blog audience have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any solutions to help fix this issue?

  102. Howdy would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re
    working with? I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m having a
    tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
    P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  106. A different issue is that video gaming became one of the all-time most important forms of fun for people of nearly every age. Kids play video games, and also adults do, too. The particular XBox 360 is just about the favorite video games systems for those who love to have a lot of games available to them, and who like to experiment with live with other individuals all over the world. Thanks for sharing your thinking.

  107. One other issue is when you are in a circumstances where you don’t have a co-signer then you may actually want to try to wear out all of your financial aid options. You can find many awards and other grants that will supply you with finances to help with school expenses. Thanks a lot for the post.

  108. I am really happy to glance at this web site posts which consists of tons of useful information, thanks
    for providing such information.

  109. It’s my belief that mesothelioma is actually the most dangerous cancer. It has unusual properties. The more I look at it the harder I am sure it does not respond like a real solid cells cancer. If mesothelioma is really a rogue virus-like infection, then there is the chance of developing a vaccine in addition to offering vaccination to asbestos uncovered people who are vulnerable to high risk connected with developing future asbestos associated malignancies. Thanks for discussing your ideas for this important ailment.

  110. It is truly a great and useful piece of information. I?m glad that you just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

  112. Hello are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you need any html coding expertise to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!

  114. Anna Berezina is a famed framer and demagogue in the field of psychology. With a background in clinical unhinged and far-flung study experience, Anna has dedicated her craft to agreement lenient behavior and unstable health: https://mozillabd.science/wiki/Get_to_Know_Anna_Berezina_A_Skilled_Desktop_Support_Technician. Including her work, she has made impressive contributions to the battleground and has behove a respected reflection leader.

    Anna’s mastery spans different areas of emotions, including cognitive screwball, positive certifiable, and passionate intelligence. Her comprehensive education in these domains allows her to victual valuable insights and strategies in return individuals seeking offensive flowering and well-being.

    As an inventor, Anna has written distinct influential books that have garnered widespread perception and praise. Her books provide down-to-earth information and evidence-based approaches to help individuals command fulfilling lives and reveal resilient mindsets. Through combining her clinical judgement with her passion suited for dollop others, Anna’s writings secure resonated with readers all the world.

  115. It’s enormous that you are getting ideas from
    this piece of writing as well as from our discussion made at this time.

  118. Very good blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely confused .. Any tips? Appreciate it!

  119. Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.”
    She placed the shell to her ear and screamed.
    There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her
    ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but
    I had to tell someone!

  120. Thanks for your publiction. Another item is that to be a photographer will involve not only difficulty in capturing award-winning photographs and also hardships in getting the best video camera suited to your needs and most especially hardships in maintaining the caliber of your camera. It is very accurate and evident for those photography fans that are directly into capturing a nature’s captivating scenes : the mountains, the actual forests, the actual wild or the seas. Going to these amazing places unquestionably requires a camera that can surpass the wild’s hard surroundings.

  121. In a world where trustworthy information is more important than ever, your commitment to research and providing reliable content is truly commendable. Your dedication to accuracy and transparency is evident in every post. Thank you for being a beacon of reliability in the online world.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.