SunnyHills

architechu

The reeds sway in the wind.
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"The reeds sway in the wind, and the trees break in the wind." It is a sentence speaking about flexibility. In modern and contemporary architecture, concrete is a material that always appears without fail. This is because with the advancement of concrete technology, there is an advantage that buildings can be built taller and sturdier than when using wooden or stone materials. Especially in architecture, there is no material that sways in the wind like reeds, but when looking at the life of the entire building, it could also be talking about the possibility of recycling.
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Japan is a country located in the earthquake-prone Pacific Ring of Fire. Especially, Japan is a country well known for its frequent earthquakes and terrifying tsunamis. Thanks to this, Japan has long preferred wooden buildings. This is because wood is flexible and resilient in earthquakes.
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Anyways, the space being introduced today is a work by the world-famous architect "Kuma Kengo." From afar, it looks like a cluster of tangled branches, but when you look closely, the exterior of this building has a specific pattern. The surprising thing is that this exterior serves not as a mere decoration but as part of the building's structure. It is a design language that represents both structure and exterior. This is a modification of the traditional Japanese wooden construction method called "jigoku kumi."
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Kuma Kengo is a proponent of "weak architecture." He prefers weak materials that can be reused or easily rebuilt in disaster-prone environments rather than concrete. Although he has left many works on the theme of "wood," he also weaves spaces through the seemingly unrelated material of "paper."
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Among his many works, this space is a small-scale project that uniquely showcases the beauty of wood's texture and structural elegance. Due to the unique pattern of the structure, it creates a unique experience when looking out from the inside or when light enters. It is currently a cafe selling pineapple pie under the name "Pineapple Cake Sunny Hills." It is possible to eat inside, and there are more people than expected, so there is a wait on the first floor before going up.
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His works are plentiful in Japan, but in this episode, we will briefly introduce his presence and revisit his stories designed in Tokyo. (This story will be covered in 24 years)
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📍 Location | 3 Chome-10-20 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan
⏰ Opening Hours | 11:00-19:00
🚗 No parking ❌
📝 Menu | One box 2400 yen [6 pieces], there is also Tina Coffee.