Japanese architect Junya Ishigami completed an unusual project that he had been working on for nine years. This is a house restaurant, reminiscent of a cave. It is located in the Japanese city of Yamaguchi. The construction illustrates the trend towards a new type of earthen construction, which researchers predict more of a future in connection with the transition to sustainable forms of architecture.
Despite its relatively small size, the design took three years and the construction itself six years. The result is an innovative facility that combines archaeological excavations with concrete-reinforced structures.
The customer wanted an unusual, earth-bound space that would serve as both a cozy restaurant and a home for his family. Ishigami proposed a radical construction method: on a plot of 914 sq. m excavated an elaborate moon-like landscape from the pits. These holes were filled with reinforced concrete. The cavities surrounding the concrete “pillars” were cleared of earth, and the planned configuration of interconnected “caverns” appeared. The total area of the unusual building is about 200 square meters. meters.
Initially, the architect intended that the walls of the building retain the texture of rough concrete. However, when workers began clearing the dirt around the backfilled areas, some of the dirt stuck to the concrete and created a beautiful natural finish. They decided to leave her. The restaurant and living space are separated by three small courtyards. You can move between them through the central courtyard. The restaurant provides five seats at the main counter, and 12 small tables are arranged in a cavernous interior.
The house, which also looks like a cave, has two bedrooms, a large open space with a dining table, and a living room. In a small kitchen, the countertop and sink are made of polished cast concrete. All gaps between uneven structures were 3D scanned so that window and door frames could be accurately manufactured to fit each opening.
This project is markedly different from its traditional surroundings. Ishigami turned the family home into a strangely shaped lake visible from the outside. The organic contours of the house are barely visible from the ground, and only at the entrance to the cave does the sculptural intent become apparent.