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Shibaura house

via designboom:

Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA) were named recipients of the 2010 Pritzker last year. For her latest project, Sejima has designed a community workshop space in the Shibaura district of Tokyo. Having been subject to massive redevelopment since the 1990s, the area, consisting largely of office buildings, has begun to take on a new face in recent years, attracting young professionals as well as families.

Shibaura House, the 7-story, largely translucent structure, will attempt to position itself as a hub for the next step of creative dialogue. This bustling new center built within the business district and a short walking distance from main transportation lines provides diverse areas within the various levels. Capable of supporting a wide range of functions and activities, individuals or groups may hold meetings, conferences, events, lectures and exhibitions within unique interior and terraced plan arrangements. 

The tensioned steel structure supports a glass curtain wall penetrated with intermittent setbacks containing open air terraces on the front and back elevations. upon entering the premises, visitors find the ground floor lounge is open to the public, furnished with chairs and tables for universal usage. Upper study levels are connected to the primary focal patio with a curving staircase integrating an outdoor experience into regularly traveled circulation paths. The ‘bird room’ is perched at the highest story providing a versatile space for dance classes and communal gathering filled with ample daylight.

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1. Illustration of various activities occurring within the building - img by Jody Wong via shibaurahouse.jp

2. View from the street - img via naoyafujii

3, 4. Ground floor lounge open to the public - img via shibaurahouse.jp

5. The “bird room” - img via shibaurahouse.jp

6,7,8. Terraces connecting study lounge levels - img via naoyafujii

9. Section - img via kazuyo sejima

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