A striking façade design stands out within the traditional shopping street, drawing inspiration from a floating sea of clouds/ Masahiro Ishibashi
Taniroku Saka
Firm LocationTokyo, Japan
Companysupermaniac inc.
Lead ArchitectAkitoshi Imafuku
Design TeamNobuaki Suzuki
The concept is “a sea of clouds at the mountaintop” as the site is on a hill called Mt. Sanada because a samurai lord Sanada built a castle. It is too low to be called a mountain, but we evolved the image and came up with the concept. Inspired by greengrocers and fish shops, we designed the sales stand occupying the entire sales floor. Aisles are minimized inside, prompting them to serve customers in the storefronts, adding a lively vibe to the street. The ceiling height gradually decreases toward the back to camouflage the compact size of the shop.