An unfamiliar object in plain sight
At the heart of a Tokyo residence called After Image, ULTRA Studio has placed a striking black cylinder. This large, opaque element intentionally dominates the view, compelling attention. Yet the architects expect the opposite over time. As residents adapt to their space, the cylinder might fade into the background, akin to how our brain overlooks our nose, exemplifying how city dwellings have changed not only in appearance but also in perception.
Architectural Evolution: When the familiar returns to view
Elsewhere in Tokyo, the Apartment in Uehara tackles the mundane that urban dwellers often ignore. Beige tiles, retaining walls, and elevated homes create an urban landscape so ubiquitous they blend into obscurity. By manipulating these familiar elements, the team at ULTRA Studio highlights them anew.
The projects diverge intriguingly. After Image introduces a novel element, letting daily life eventually absorb it, while Apartment in Uehara extracts the commonplace from obscurity by altering its scale and arrangement. Both projects reflect ULTRA Studio’s belief that architecture’s perception evolves over time, showing how residences throughout Tokyo have been reimagined through innovative design techniques.
After Image builds a house around a blind spot
Completed in 2023, After Image occupies a site in a typical Tokyo neighborhood in a bustling Tokyo neighborhood. A primary street lines one boundary, with a narrow alley on the other, where neighboring residents have cultivated small gardens. ULTRA Studio flips the conventional design, demonstrating how residential spaces in Tokyo have changed. The quiet street frontage conceals much of its interior, while its alley side features gardens and windows, presenting a facade.
Inside, a first floor that rises to around four meters contrasts with compressed upper rooms. The black cylinder anchors this lofty space, extending beyond mere partition. It alters sightlines, frequently emerging at the peripheral vision’s edge. Upstairs, this cylinder sporadically appears in different rooms, fostering spatial awareness among residents. Sliding doors reveal its alignment, subtly rotating the space around it, showcasing how these structures have shifted in functionality and form.
Addition of complex design elements enriches the perception further. A reflective silver cylinder above an alley window distributes sunlight and conceals pipes. A kitchen mirror provides views of the living room. Patterns replicated onto walls turn structural forms into imagery. ULTRA Studio values this mystique: spaces that evoke questions rather than provide immediate clarity, illustrating the concept of residential units transformed into living art forms.
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Through daily interactions, the black cylinder’s symbolism evolves, morphing from a bold focal point into an everyday aspect of navigation and interaction within the home, one of the many ways homes in Tokyo have changed under ULTRA Studio’s influence.
Apartment in Uehara makes Tokyo visible again
Situated in a neighborhood defined by dramatic elevation changes, Apartment in Uehara plays with these dynamics. Retaining walls and raised concrete plinths produce building sites above the sloping terrain while foliage softens the structure’s abruptness. ULTRA Studio integrates these features, stepping concrete slabs to follow natural contours, transforming height changes into functional space and showcasing how these developments altered the urban landscape.
Inside, varied levels promote different uses: seating areas, subtle separations, rooms without walls. Cylindrical forms punctuate the design, serving as structural elements and spatial divides, their functions fluid rather than fixed, another example of how innovative design reimagined these spaces.
Inspired by Tokyo’s everyday materials, the building’s surface features familiar tiles with reflective silver glaze that brightens interiors. This creates a seamless flow between the facade and the inside. The design highlights forgotten architectural language, revealing the beauty of the familiar by enhancing its uniqueness, completing the picture of transformed homes in both aesthetic and experience.
Sources & Links
Source: designboom.com
Frequently asked questions What is the purpose of the black cylinder in After Image?
In After Image, the black cylinder serves as a bold design element that initially dominates the view but is expected to fade into the background over time. It becomes an everyday aspect of navigation, altering sightlines and fostering spatial awareness among residents.
How does ULTRA Studio highlight familiar urban elements in Tokyo?
ULTRA Studio highlights familiar urban elements by manipulating their scale and arrangement, as seen in the Apartment in Uehara project. This approach extracts the mundane from obscurity, allowing it to stand out and be perceived anew.
How does the Apartment in Uehara interact with Tokyo’s natural landscape?
The Apartment in Uehara interacts with Tokyo’s natural landscape by utilizing retaining walls and raised concrete plinths to create building sites above the sloping terrain, integrating natural contours into functional space. The design softens abrupt structures with foliage and features stepped concrete slabs.
AloJapan.com