This project is the showroom and headquarter office of Wilkhahn Japan, a leading German office furniture company. The space is located in one of the main design centers in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. The design aims to show Wilkhahn's modernist design philosophy, without overpowering the intricacy and refined materiality of its display products.While the given space is wide and deep, it lacks natural light. Therefore, we created a series of courtyard-like focal points in the space, including one large glass box in the center for the display of the client's most prized conference furniture collection. Connecting space circulating the central glass box serves as gallery space for smaller furniture as well. White & crisp lighting inside each courtyard is designed to contrast with more diffused lighting in surrounding spaces which creates the illusion of natural light in each courtyard. In addition, each glass joint of the central conference space is carefully detailed with a thin stainless steel bar sandwiched by clear silicon to avoid the green color of glass which typically appears on each cut edge. As a result, the only colors one notices are those of the displayed products amid white backgrounds and clear glass.The central conference space is also designed with an automatic roll-screen system in order to host conferences during the showroom's operation hours. Faint patterns which mimic the shadow of the Schwarzward (Black Forest) where Wilkhahn began their practice are printed on each screen. Attendants of the conference can then feel as if they are having a conference in the middle of a forest, with light filtering through leaves.
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