KO52 TAKAO

We were in charge of the basic design for a commercial building in front of Takao Station on the Keio-Takao Line that would encourage “Koakinai” (indie businesses). The term “Koakinai” refers to a type of business that is driven by individual store owners who share their individuality and commitment with their customers.
This project called for a layout that would make it easier to open stores in smaller sections than in conventional commercial buildings, and that would facilitate comfortable communication among tenants and with visitors. Under the key words like “fittings” that connect tenants to common areas, and “veranda” and “eaves” that are attached to the boundary between tenants and common areas, we designed a system to induce interaction between individual stores and customers by making tenants’ boundaries ambiguous. The aim was to foster a community throughout the building, similar to a shopping district. By installing a foundation on the wall, we proposed a space where each store owner can freely paint the walls, add shelves, and continuously change the space with their own hands.