kubo tsushima architects renovates and extends 'edoyu' spa in tokyo

kubo tsushima architects has renovated and extended ‘edoyu’, a spa and bathhouse facility in tokyo’s kamezawa district. as the site is located in close proximity to the sumida hokusai museum — an institution dedicated to katsushika hokusai — the design of the spa is inspired by the work of the famous artist. ‘while staying true to hokusai’s world, in our design, we also tried to emphasize the concept of the word ‘yu’ in edo-yu, which means freely wandering and enjoying,’ explains the design team.

all images by koji fujii / nacasa and partners

externally, kubo tsushima architects added a façade to the building that is reminiscent of bathhouse curtains blowing in the wind. this entrance to edoyu is made up of four tall aluminum panels that hide the junction between the existing building and a new annex that doubles the spa’s floor space. the panels have been punctured with a seigaiha pattern that gradually disappears as the elevation ascends. passing through the curtain-like façade symbolizes the transition from the city to the spa retreat.

thanks to its reinforced concrete structure, the annex has no columns or beams. this gave the architects more freedom in determining the interior layout. ‘we designed small spaces through the use of bathtubs, furniture, finishing materials, ceilings and differences in lighting environments — all so that they would form a continuous sequence,’ says the design team. although the spa can accommodate up to 400 visitors, the architects designed the spaces so that all guests can find their own private areas.

the women’s bathing area has been designed to evoke the feeling of ‘floating in the clouds’. the tubs are set at different heights, while apertures cut into the ceiling take the form of clouds. other areas of the scheme, including a co-working space and a restaurant, are contained within the previously existing building. ‘while our inspiration derives from hokusai’s world, our goal was to construct the edo world from a modern, or perhaps even near future, perspective,’ say the architects. read our interview with hideaki kubo and yumi tsushima here.