fuminori maemi architect office renovates cafe634 in tokyo

FMA architects / fuminori maemi renovates cafe634 in tokyo
all photos by takahiko fuse

situated behind a theater along the narrow streets of the higashi-ginza district in tokyo was the musashi café. previously serving as a print shop, the space had been transformed into the eatery that was frequented as a lunch stop. now, fuminori maemi / FMA architects has renewed it into ‘cafe634’, a coffee and light dining destination that speaks to the grittiness of the neighbourhood, while offering a refined, warm setting. boasting 5.6 meter high ceilings (three storeys), the interiors are open in appearance and feel, running 50 meters in length.
 

Entrance porch black steel door. Production of confidentiality, such as difficult to determine the type of store.

‘cafe634’ has been conceived using neutral black, grey and white tones and expresses an honest configuration of columns, floor and wall supports. the first floor presents a small kitchen and seating area along the window, with stairs leading upwards to the second level’s more spacious dining area with full cooking facilities at the rear. the uppermost storey is where one finds the office which overlooks the ground below, with a catwalk that guides people to the street facing roof terrace.

the lofted café stands as a humble establishment within the bustling japan metropolis, offering a quiet place to relax, and catch up with a friend.

the wall to the right as one enters is a 12-meter-long blackboard

a horizontal window of 8 meters was established on the east facing side of the first floor

the 5.6 meter high ceilings give a lofted and open feel to the otherwise narrow space

the interior is furnished with simple wooden furniture

view of the second floor dining area from the office

sight lines from the roof terrace through the atrium to the rear office

first floor plan

 
second floor plan

third floor plan

section

site before renovation

 project info:

completion date: december 2013
location: ginza, chuo-ku, tokyo
zoning: commercial area
specified fire protection: fire area
district: ginza district district plan
construction type: new
application: restaurant
land size: 85.06 square meters
building area: 66.8 square meters
total floor area: 165.5 square meters
structure: steel frame
basis: mat foundation
pile: cast-in-place steel pipe pile
number of floors: three
maximum height: 9.288m
design period: july 2012 – september 2012
design and construction supervision structure: co. ohga building construction design office, ohga code of written law, sakamoto eionore
facilities: the advanced encryption standard, inc. associates hemmi hisakatsu, yasushi ogawa / environment system kibayashi shigetoshi, s & r design office / tetsu saitoh
kitchen facilities: taniko co. niwa akirasatoshi , izumiyama aya construction: yamasho construction co.
building certification examination and interim and completion inspection: good eyes co., ltd. building inspection mechanism
furniture material: wood katsumata co. katsumata takeo / hamamoto hamamoto wood co., ltd. atsuko
steel sash: sash tanaka industrial co., ltd.
photography: takahiko fuse

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