CASE-REAL designs neutral-toned compact tea laboratory in kyoto

japanese studio CASE-REAL designed a multipurpose tea laboratory for ‘toka’ tea room. the space is located on the east side of the kyoto imperial palace, japan, where the tea room is situated in a traditional japanese house within a quiet residential area.

the interior view from entrance

all images by hiroshi mizusaki

this project by CASE-REAL is for a multi-purpose laboratory that serves as a satellite space for ‘toka’. the lab is called ‘toka labo’ and will store a wide variety of carefully selected tea leaves, which are the basis of the tea served at ‘toka’. they will also be used for tea blending experiments and workshops. the space also contains an office, providing the necessary meeting space for ‘toka’, as well as a space for shipping operations.

general view of the interior space

‘toka’ is a tiny space of 33 sqm, dominated by a circular work table, a standing desk/cellar, and stock shelves. the section is a compact skeleton where the ceiling and flooring were kept intact. case real decided on a simple composition, they installed fixtures with the necessary functions as needed, avoiding the need to separate with partitions, or finishing the entire space.

the view of tea stock

in the center of the room, a round table was placed for multipurpose use. its form was derived naturally from the space, and the relationship with the workflow line was taken into consideration. the color palette is neutral, giving the space a warm atmosphere. the fixtures were made of basswood plywood stained white, a neutral color that makes a subtle statement in a compact space.

the form of the table was derived naturally from the space, and the relationship with the workflow line was taken into consideration

close-up view of the center table

the floor and ceiling are the existing skeleton

view towards the standing desk and entrance

close-up view of the standing desk and stock. at the back of the space, there is a cellar for tea leaves that need to be refrigerated

the outside view of the building

entrance view with the signage

floor plan

project info:

name: TOKA LAB.

location: kyoto, japan

client: tearoom toka

design: koichi futatusmata, yuki ohnita (CASE-REAL)

construction: nakatani building firm
lighting plan: LIGHTDESIGN INC.

floor area: 32.4 sqm (348.75 sqft)

photography: hiroshi mizusaki

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: yasmina karam | designboom