This industrial style private residence is located in Sangenjaya, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, in Japan. It was designed by Schemata Architects and completed in 2017.
The street in which it is located is a dead-end, sandwiched between two mid-rise buildings just a few minutes’ walk away from Sangenjaya station. The 52 year old building had been formerly used as a clinic and a private house by the client’s grandfather prior to this remodeling, which he asked for as soon as he inherited the home.
While it would have been easier and more profitable to rebuild the home from scratch, by explicit desire of the client, the architects preserved the original building, as it had been much loved by the local residents for a long time.
The southwest corner of the lower floor now holds a gallery to be operated by the client himself, which will also allow him a unique opportunity to bring a large host of people into his new home, something that he had expressed a keen interest in doing.
Something unique about this building is that, due to its age, it was built during a time when Tokyo’s population was not quite so great. As a result, its spaces are generously large, which made a redistribution of its interior an easier feat.
