yoshihiro kato atelier folds roof to create façade of japanese hair salon

yoshihiro kato atelier has designed the ‘WESTORY’ hair salon located 30 minutes by car from the center of nagoya city in japan. what was originally a field, the site is now home to the single story intervention. incorporating elements of greenery within and around the new building, the guiding concept behind the project was to create a hair salon with a more natural feeling.

all images © nacasa & partners inc.

measuring 1453 ft2 (134.99 m2) in area, the building is set back from the street. the parking lot is formed in crushed stone, providing a rough and more natural feel. concrete slabs, positioned in the center of the site, denote the path to the hair salon, welcoming customers inside. the volume announces itself by a continuous roof plain that folds over and extends down to create the main entrance façade. by doing this, the architect forms a somewhat introverted appearance, as the interior is partially hidden by the diagonal lines of the roof extension. 

inside the hair salon the timber structure is exposed throughout the space, creating a warm and natural atmosphere. the roof plain that extends down to the ground reduces the amount of direct light that enters the interior, which was a deliberate design decision by the architect. instead, to receive diffused light, a void is cut into the roof to form a small internal courtyard. this insertion brings an element of the outdoors indoors while also bringing natural light into the salon.

project info:

project name: ‘WESTORY’

location: nagoya city, aichi prefecture, japan

architect: yoshihiro kato atelier

site area: 5347.73 ft2 (496.82 m2)

building area: 1453 ft2 (134.99 m2)

photography: nacasa & partners inc.

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: lynne myers | designboom