Facade Coherent with the Environment
- Perforated Steel Panel for Mediating Internal and External Gazes -
This project involved the renovation of a two-story wooden restaurant building that had been built in the 1980s and faced a typical suburban roadside in Hakodate city. The client requested a new facade that would be both outstanding and welcoming to local people and tourists in a casual manner.
To avoid putting additional structural burden on the existing building, a structurally independent steel framework was constructed around it. The framework was then enclosed with perforated stainless steel panels and wooden louvers, which created a gradual transition of views between the interior and exterior. The perforated stainless steel panels, with their triangular holes, seem to wrap around the constantly shifting sky, while the wooden louvers were arranged to conceal the steel framework and warmly invite visitors into the restaurant.
The design aimed to recover the region-specific townscape and familiarity without accommodating itself to the signboard-streetscape. The interior space was mostly renovated on the second floor, where an open kitchen counter and seating were installed.