zinc panel cladding wraps wooden retail store by VUILD in japan

Shodoshima the GATE LOUNGE serves as an olive product store

Japanese architectural studio VUILD has completed Shodoshima the Gate Lounge, a unique wooden retail store on Shodoshima Island in western Japan, challenging the conventional designer-client relationship. The client, engaged in olive cultivation, sought a physical space for direct sales and interaction with visitors. VUILD faced the challenge of designing a wooden structure on an island lacking drying and processing facilities, proposing the conversion of a plastic greenhouse into a drying machine, and employing a small CNC processing machine. The client actively participated in material procurement and construction, leading to the minimizing of the carbon footprint within a 5.5 km radius.

all images by Takumi Ota unless stated otherwise

VUILD opts for a Three-Way Spreading wooden frame

The architects at VUILD and the contractor guided the client in sourcing stones and wood for the foundation and the meticulous process of peeling, milling and painting the wood. The building, carefully positioned around a 1,000-year-old olive tree, is enveloped in bent zinc panel cladding that reveals three layers of slits for lighting and ventilation. Simulations by a sustainability engineer informed the three-way spreading form to encourage airflow, while intricate CNC-cut components allowed for the precise assembly of the structure and walls, blending environmental consciousness with digital fabrication technology.

one of the main entries to the facility faces the ocean

the bent zinc panel cladding reveals three layers of slits for lighting and ventilation

the three-way spreading form encourages airflow

large arch window provides ocean views to the interior

the frame exposes the structural beams made out of local wood

CNC-cut components allow for the precise assembly of the structure

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the framing is carefully designed in collaboration with a traditional carpenter and VUILD | image by VUILD

the volume's orientation takes into account the natural wind flow | image by VUILD

local granite is used for the foundation | image by VUILD

project info:

name: Shodoshima the GATE LOUNGE
architect: VUILD | @vuild_official

client: Shodoshima Healthyland Co.,Ltd.

structural engineer: Graph Studio
sustainable engineer: Studio Nora
lighting designer: TILe

location: Shodoshima Island, Japan

photography: Takumi Ota

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom