Enzo Gallery & Office by Ogawasekkei // Japan.

Architects: Ogawasekkei.
Location: Gifu, Japan.
Year completed: 2014.
Area: 66 sqm.
Photography: Masato Kawano / Nacasa & Partners.

Japanese architect Ogawasekkei has refurbished a two-storey rental property on the outskirts of the city of Gifu to create the Enzo Gallery & Office, which comprises a ground-floor showroom with a narrow courtyard, and an upstairs studio and lounge space. As the property is rented, the renovation had to focus on wall, floor and ceiling finishes as opposed to changing section plans to create new spaces. It was decided that the first floor would act as the gallery, for the client, a landscape architect, to present his works, while the second floor would be the office and living area.

The interior of the showroom features an untreated oriented strand board (OSB) ceiling, black-painted walls and black tatami mat flooring. A translucent screen made from traditional Japanese shoji paper descends mid level across the plane of glass, directing the eye downwards towards the garden. A polished brass square rises from the corner of the glazing to meet the edge of the screen. The floor is laid with grey carpet tiles and the ply ceiling is painted black. The walls are stained with white oil, leaving the wood grain exposed. Beyond the studio, a set of sliding wooden doors front the lounge area, which has a hammock strung from one corner to face a window.

“The space aims to contain the disorder of existing parts, newly established parts, and furnishings for the office, hoping that diverse materials in many different relations will invoke complexity and depth into the experiencing space.” – Ogawasekkei.

[Images courtesy of Ogawasekkei. Photography © Masato Kawano / Nacasa & Partners.]