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Hiroaki Takada + Masayuki Nakahata of htmn have created a unique clinic and office complex in the heart of Tokyo. Nestled between two existing buildings, the site is narrow and confined by specific site boundaries which the design overcomes. The new building joins the rebuilding process currently occurring with the surrounding partitioned houses.
With the site being defined by a railway line to the north and a municipal road to the south, the architects had to closely consider the boundaries with the addition of the narrowness being defined and emphasised by the buildings both east and west.
The floorplate of the building is small, however the architects have created clever design strategies which create more space within the limited site. The line of sight has been drawn upwards by opening up the floors so attention is drawn up into the building, taking the attention away from its confined edges.
Visitors are encouraged to go up into the space where the light is drawn in from above and the spaces open out as a terrace on the third and fourth floors enabling an interaction with the southern side.
The terraces have been designed to be blocked from the line of sight of the adjacent platform where occupants are able to utilise the space whilst maintaining a level of privacy. Carefully considered spaces are connected by various atriums which create specific distance between each area, helping to define each office. The office proportion has been composed of two volumes which lead to the gradual multi-layered floor which are intertwined.
By creating a continuous and open series of segmented spaces the users are able to perceive them whilst staying in one place. Circulation has been designed to flow between the volumes, emphasising the intricately intertwined spaces which give the illusion of expanding beyond the actual floor boundaries.
Jessica Tang
Editorial