A Tokyo Apartment

2 min read
March 31, 2022
dpages

THIS LIGHT…

suffused apartment in Tokyo’s leafy Azabu neighborhood represents the seamless melding of two traditions: the Japanese and the Scandinavian, both renowned for elevated simple design, impeccable craftsmanship and a reverence for natural materials.

THE APARTMENT’S…

aesthetic is a testament to the harmonious collaboration between Norm Architects of Copenhagen, Tokyo-based Keiji Ashizawa Design, and the Japanese furniture brand Karimoku, which jointly undertook the redesign of the dated space as a showcase for the work of all three.

THE APARTMENT…

had quality of light going for it, but little else. In a sweeping renovation, the architects drastically changed the flat’s layout, doing away with corridors and small rooms in favor of a more open plan. Ingenious sliding doors provide the flexibility to close spaces off as desired. Wall alcoves in each room represent the Japanese concept of tokonoma, areas dedicated to the display of special objects, flowers and artwork.

A STRICTLY…

neutral furnishings palette, extensive dark wood built-ins and hand-troweled stucco on walls and ceilings distinguish the space. In the main living area, a pale sectional sofa with rounded cushions on a wood frame provides ample seating and nubby texture, while a coffee table with a smoky glass top appears to float in space. A paper pendant light and simple slender shelves maintain the light look.

THE KITCHEN…

and dining area have a warm organic feel. Coffered molding detail and pronounced grain on the dark timber elements bring dimensionality to the unabashedly minimalist scheme.

FLOOR TO…

ceiling storage, of a piece with the rest of the apartment’s finely crafted millwork, leads to a serene chamber with a platform bed and 1960s AJ Wall Lamp by Danish mid-century master Arne Jacobsen. The architects have also acknowledged the project’s debt to the inspiration of mid-century American and Brazilian modernism in the use of warm, dark natural materials, wood-paneled walls, lush carpets and tactile upholstery, citing influences like the Rudolph Schindler House in Los Angles and even the TV series Mad Men.

WHILE…

many spaces are designed for entertaining, this apartment, created during an era of global pandemic, balances age-old Japanese and Scandinavian design principles to produce a serene and cozy environment for living a contemplative private life.