Maruta-Hiroba KI TO KI by TORAFU ARCHITECTS

Torafu Architects has designed Maruta-Hiroba KI TO KI, a space for rest and exhibition in The Hakone Open-Air Museum. The client wanted an exhibition space and a resting place on rainy days, so a windowless room on the first floor, which had been used as a gallery, was converted into the brand-new space.

When we asked Suzuno and Kamuro about their design process, he said, “The Hakone Open-Air Museum, the first outdoor museum in Japan, is known for its pleasant outside space. Compared to the delightful environment, we started to think about what we could create indoors. We found out that outdoor sculptures are untouchable, so we felt that we should have something tangible here.”

In response to a request for a space to eat cafe food from the downstairs, they said, “If we place ordinary benches and tables, visitor can only use it for that function. So we chose local cedar logs harvested in Hakone to create an environment where people can enjoy finding their place to relax.”

They also said that by using large timbers, they wanted people to feel the power of nature. The design team placed 360mm-square laminated lumber bases in a narrow space, and long logs were set on top of it. The logs can be used either as a bench or a table.

At the end of the interview, the design duo said, “By using dynamic logs and timbers, we proposed to give a sense of unity to a long and narrow room which was divided by a stairwell. We wanted to design the space based on simple rules, so that visitors could use it in any way they wanted, rather than we define how to use it.” Besides, they left the existing wall in white so that artist could use it for installations in the future. After the opening of KI TO KI, the white wall area was immediately used for an exhibition.