Hiroshima-based architecture and interior design firm FATHOM has designed a brutalist hair salon for a couple who work as models and hairstylists in two locations, Tokyo and Hiroshima.

Named qiyu Hair Salon, the salon is located on the fifth floor of a small multi-tenant building facing Namiki-dori in Hiroshima City.

Since they live in different locations, they have limited time to spend together. They wondered if they could create a space in a store, separate from their homes, that reflects the connection between Tokyo and Hiroshima.

The shared area after leaving the elevator is small, and it is not visible from the street. Given the couple's potential, it initially seemed a little lacking. 

They then considered how they could design a room that, while keeping closely to the building's plan, would instantly communicate to guests the worldview that the couple has woven into the space as soon as they open the door. 

A huge reception counter was placed outside the entrance door to make it float, and they secured the greatest number of cutting spaces - including two shampoo machines and four haircut machines - that could fit in the 43-square-metre space.

They called this restaurant "yuqi table" so that when the wife returned from Tokyo, she could sample different things, like a pop-up shop. Additionally, the cloakroom was constructed of acrylic to make it clear and light because the small area was crammed with bulky furniture like counters and seats.

An H-shaped wooden frame was made by using wood to mimic H-beams, and the structure's skeleton was returned to its former condition. 

The infrastructure, which was organized as pillars and beams and ran throughout the room, included outlets, lighting fixtures, and electrical wiring in the H-shaped recesses.

This frame supports the counter of the "yuqi table," which is connected to the husband's cutting area. A mirror is suspended from the beam frame, with outlets and a mirror stand fastened to the pillars. 

The studio believes that by creating a blood-like electric current inside the frame, two people who live in separate places and work in different professions would be able to work together as a married couple while experiencing a subconscious connection that feels like blood flowing through them.

The image that immediately catches your attention when you open the front door is one in which a distant couple can bond. 

The designers wanted to create an environment where the pair could work together more closely. According to them, this is a new business that is weaved by a lifestyle that is still uncommon in Hiroshima. 

By establishing a center in the area where the couple commutes between Tokyo and Hiroshima, their shared lifestyle will develop into a distinctive culture that will spread across Hiroshima in a variety of ways, which will add interest to the city.

Floor plan

All images & drawings courtesy of FATHOM.

> via FATHOM

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