AYAMEROW by Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio
Eyeware shop | Tokyo, Japan
ayamerow | Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio | photography: Takumi Ota
DESIGN NOTE
A substantial eyeWARE display crafted from red stone
COLOUR Palette harmonising with the iconic building
Unique Floor plan derived from the corridor
photography: Takumi Ota
words : Reiji Yamakura/IDREIT
Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio has designed 'ayamerow', an eyewear shop located in the From First Building (architectural design by Kazumasa Yamashita in 1975) in Minami-Aoyama. Ayame is a Japanese-born eyewear brand. The project began when Yu Imaizumi, founder of Ayame, visited Vague Kobe—a creative space in Kobe that Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio both designs and operates. Deeply moved by its materiality and atmosphere, Imaizumi commissioned the studio to design his new shop.
"For Mr Imaizumi, opening in the From First Building was a long-held dream, making this project particularly meaningful," Yanagihara reflects. "We began by researching the building itself, developing a concept of 'inserting the building's memory' and proposing a space that would feel as though it had been there since 1970s."
The tenancy occupies a single room on the second floor with low ceilings. Concerning the interior design, the design team embraced the low ceiling height positively and proceeded to optimise the low, dark space. Regarding the relationship between the communal areas and the shop—a connection that gives the space its distinct character within the building—Yanagihara explains: "In this location, if we'd simply created a beautiful interior within the tenancy alone, it would have felt disconnected from its surroundings, emphasising the spatial limitations. We wanted the ayamerow experience to begin from the ground-floor staircase, designing the stairs and corridor to feel like part of a singular journey."
This thinking manifests in interior walls that follow the lines of the communal corridor, and a fitout finished in tones that match the building's existing brick tiles.
The interior of the shop entrance, with wall lines aligned with the corridor. The colour palette matches the tones of the communal areas.
The shop features EDITION 01 SIDE CHAIR designed by Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio.
Yanagihara notes that, generally, opticians tend to have very similar interiors because the shelving sizes and lighting are planned to suit the eyewear. Here, he sought differentiation. Drawing from the tenancy's characteristics, Yanagihara conceived a 'stone cave' where glasses rest on hewn ledges carved from the rock itself. Regarding the bold display of placing delicate eyewear directly onto stone surfaces, the owner readily agreed that there would be no issues, as the considered tension within the interior would encourage customers to handle the glasses with respect. Their unique concept was realised as envisioned.
At the very rear of the shop sits a consultation space with a wall of drawers. Here, Yanagihara raised the ceiling height to enhance the sense of airy volume, creating the feelings of approaching the cave's exit. These simple drawers embody a commitment to making the staff's retrieval of frames a graceful gesture, employing bottom-mounted runners that keep the mechanics invisible from the side. The drawer linings use 'Haku', a textile Yanagihara previously designed for Kvadrat. Such attention to detail maintains the experience at an elevated level, from selecting high-quality eyewear through to purchase.
DETAIL
A rust-coloured stone with a massive presence.
Glasses are displayed directly on the top surface of the tiered stone-made display table.
The inside of the drawer features the Kvadrat’s textile “Haku”, designed by Yanagihara. The drawers are beautifully fitted, concealing the runners.
CREDIT
Name: ayamerow
Designer: Teruhiro Yanagihara, Hansheng Hsu / Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio
Lighting Design: Modulex
Armchair: Sashimonokagu Takahashi
Construction: Kikusui
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Location: FROM-1st 2F 5-3-10 Minami-aoyama Minato-ku, Tokyo
Owner: Ayame
Completion: May 2024
Floor area: 110 sqm
Main use: shop
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Material
Floor: mortar (floorhard) + floor wax (floorbrightsealerM)
Floor carpet: custom-coloured carpet (Yamagata Dantsu)
Wall: custom-coloured Polible (Harada Sakan)
Ceiling: mortar + floor wax (floorbrightsealerM)
Desplay table: rusty red stone (water-finish, jet-burner-finish, polished-finish)
Wall drawer: Asamela veneer + Haku (Kvadrat)
Textile: tray, cushion/ Haku (Kvadrat)
Curtain: Saros（Kvadrat）
Chair: EDITION 01 ARM CHAIR (design: Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio, manufacture: Sashimonokagu Takahash)
