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Nendo transforms Kenzo Tange’s original design into a coffee space by covering with mirrored surfaces
Japan Architecture News - Nov 24, 2015 - 15:05 9445 views
image ©Takumi Ota
Japanese-based design studio Nendo revived the interior of ''connel coffee space'' by covering it with mirrored surfaces and wood, which creates a contrast in this pretty space and emphasizes the floor and ceiling in collaboration with Masumi Hotta. Connel Coffee Space is situated on the 2nd floor of the Sogetsu Kaikan in Minato ward, Tokyo. Its original interiors are still intact from when they were designed by Kenzo Tange in 1977.
image ©Takumi Ota
It also boasts some very picturesque views of the Akasaka Estate, the Korekiyo Takahashi Memorial Park, and the stone garden created by Isamu Noguchi. In order to preserve these features, the walls and ceilings have been left untouched, no new wall fixtures have been set up, and only the floor and furniture have been redesigned. The “stream” flooring designed by nendo has been fitted throughout to smoothly unify the bi-partitioned space.
Nendo sketch, we are very familiar with classic Nendo designs. image courtesy of Nendo
The sides of the counters have been fitted with same said material, and the flooring tile jointers on the counters and stairs have all also been aligned with those on the floor, so as to create and even greater sense of consistency within the room. Also, the tops of the counters have been finished in a gloss black to match the grey mirror finish of the ceiling.
image ©Takumi Ota
In the lounge area, the original “tulip chairs” by Eero Saarinen have been repaired for reuse with a new matted black paint finish. The accompanying “tulip tables” have also been repaired, and their tabletops have been fitted with the same mirror material as the ceiling. The result is an interior design that brings out the innate properties and merits of the original space as it was first conceived.
image ©Takumi Ota
The café is chiefly managed by nendo, and inspired by our ever-growing collaborations with a wide variety of people, we have named it “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.
image ©Daici Ano
The café’s logo has been designed by taking the “n” from the nendo logo and bending it to form two “c”s. Similarly, the handles on our original mugs have been bent, or “kneaded”, by hand, giving each a unique shape. Also, the stirring sticks have been designed to stay upright on their own, and they have been made out of tin so that they gradually soften and change their form with continued use.
image ©Daici Ano
image ©Daici Ano
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Daici Ano
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Daici Ano
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Takumi Ota
image ©Daici Ano
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