70 m2 renovation in Chiyoda ward, Tokyo
Joris Berkhout, Misuzu Yoshikawa, Koen Klinkers, Will Galloway, Felicity Barbur, Ana Ilic
Photos : Daisuke Akita
Comfort and luxury in a city with such high density is defined modestly - by depth of space and an absence of wasted ground. This flat was originally built around just the opposite approach. A typical Tokyo living space, it was made with a wildly inefficient series of small isolated rooms, and impressively low ceilings.
In our updated version of the space, we aimed to simplify the organization and introduce as much depth as possible. The rooms are connected as a chain of spaces in order to maximize comfort and a sense of space. The depth of the city is borrowed for the daily routines of those living in the flat, and is as made visible from the entrance hall just as much as from the living room and bedroom - affording a spacious impression of the otherwise small home.
If we are to live in the city then it is essential to work out how to use the high density urban environment to extend comfort. The alternate choice is to block out our environment, but in this case at least, that would be a waste.
