ryu mitarai & associates connects tokyo house + restaurant with curved staircase

ryu mitarai & associates has completed stir, a four-story building in tokyo that combines a japanese restaurant on the ground floor, and a private residence on the remaining three levels. all floors are connected via a large, curved staircase that takes center stage in the middle of the structure, and which extends outside of the building and towards the small alley it is located next to.

a narrow alley with people’s signs, a railway overpass where trains come and go every minute, and a wide urban road under construction for 2020,’ notes ryu mitarai & associates. ‘the site is located in a peculiar place between three different environments. I thought of an architecture that would stand up with the environment while reacting to the different scales, distance, speed, sound, and brightness.’ the four-story building incorporates an entrance looking towards the small alley located next to it, where the beginning of the large staircase emerges, as an extension of it. its curved form creates a place that responds to the surrounding environment, while compressing and relaxing interior spaces. ‘it is the scale of the skeleton of a city that is somewhere far away from people, even though it is at the center of daily life,’ continues the studio. ‘I thought it would encourage the discovery of the place and lead to the richness of living here.’

the private residence has been designed to have a strong connection with the outside through a terrace and atrium, as well as large openings throughout. concrete and wood complement the white, metal staircase, which transforms the adjacent alley into an extension of the house, opening up the residents’ everyday lives towards the neighborhood instead of closing it off. ‘it is hoped that the architecture that rises in response to the environment will slowly move the town to create a small ecosystem, creating a unique connection and a rich sense of openness,’ the studio concludes.