Reflection of Mineral is a 480-square-foot (about 45 square meters) residence located in downtown Tokyo’s Nakano ward. Designed by architect Yasuhiro Yamashita Reflection of Mineral has received wide architecture and design media attention and numerous international awards.
Depending on viewpoint, the house looks like a bulky camper van about to take off. Or it seems to be the result of a giant’s frustrated attempt to fashion a house from a square box. Realizing that the site is too small and the wrong shape for his house, the giant just stuffed the house into the site by force. The whimsy of this beautiful residence is a big part of its charm. At the same time, the house is also an elegant expression of modern Japanese minimalism, and an example of brilliant use of a sparse site, a requirement in the tight space of downtown Tokyo.
Also beautiful is the way in which the interior appointments — the lines of the bathtub, the curves of the waste bins, the wavy length of the utilitarian shelves — respond to the lines of the building. This makes the interior seem larger and much less boxy than one would assume from the outside.
Yasuhiro Ymashita who was born in Kagoshima in 1960. He established Atelier Tekuto in Tokyo in 1991. – Tuija Seipell
Recent posts
-
January 16, 2021
Bananananana Coffee, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Instead of going for cozy or comfortable, the designers of Bananananana Coffee went for shock value in their design concept for the 60-square-metre...
-
January 4, 2021
RN Residence, Itaúna, Minas Gerais, Brazil
RN Residence is a recreational property overlooking a massive dam in the small town of Itaúna in the State of Minas Gerais in the southeast region of...
-
December 7, 2020
Moore House Restoration, Los Feliz, Los Angeles
It is always risky to renovate a classic or potentially classic building. Is this really a classic and worth saving? Are the changes necessary? Will...
-
November 29, 2020
Historic Residence Renovation, Pacific Heights, San Francisco
A family of four had purchased a gorgeous, white Edwardian-style building on a hilly street corner in the historic Pacific Heights area of San...
-
November 28, 2020
Ando Japanese-Spanish Restaurant in Hong Kong
An eclectic fusion of styles, cuisines, cultural influences, traditions and urban settings was the inspiration and starting point for the dark and...
-
November 27, 2020
Penthouse Loft Renovation in Greenwich Village, New York
A prolific home-swapper, art lover, entrepreneur and hotelier, Kevin Wendle is known to engage high-profile designers and architects in his extensive...
-
November 24, 2020
Acne Studios, Stockholm Flagship Store Renovation
For many years. Swedish fashion brand Acne Studios has had its flagship store in the heart of Stockholm at Norrmalmstorg Square in a grand...
-
November 17, 2020
Casa Le Tigre Print – Massimo Colonna
‘Casa La Tigre’ is the latest instalment by The Cool Hunter’s favourite digital artist Massimo Colonna. In this newest work, a continuation on...
-
November 15, 2020
Garden House – A Private Villa in Poland
From the Garden House was an exceptional project for the Katowice-based architecture studio KWK Promes. Situated in a secret location in the Polish...
-
November 1, 2020
Gran Fierro Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic
Designed by Prague-based design and architecture studio Formafatal, Argentinean restaurant Gran Fierro in Prague is the second act in the two...
-
October 26, 2020
Windywoppa Retreat, Nelligen, South Coast, NSW, Australia
Situated at a dramatic upstream bend of the Clyde River that flows down another 10 km into the Tasman Sea on the south coast of Australia’s New...
-
October 25, 2020
Fort Greene Townhouse – Brooklyn, New York
When the owners of a property and their collaborators can see the exact same potential in a potentially elaborate renovation, magic can happen. It is...