What do you do with an old, discontinued swimming pool that’s gathering dust in a vintage residential building from the 1970s? Well, if the pool is in Aoyama and you’re Hiroshi Fujiwara, the grandfather of Harajuku fashion, you convert it into a shop. That’s exactly what happened earlier this month when the DJ-turned-fashion-guru unveiled his new concept shop, The Pool Aoyama.
The nautical-themed shop is a 5-min walk from Omotesando Station. It’s located on the ground floor of a rather nondescript building. Collaborating with Fujiwara on the renovation was architect Nobuo Araki, who’s assisted artist Takashi Murakami in building out his galleries, as well as Kaikai Kiki offices.
The design team opted to preserve much of the old look-and-feel, as well as many of the swimming pool furnishings, and just make subtle adjustments to the space. I’m not sure what the residents of the apartment building think, but it’s nice to see on old, unused space be vibrantly reborn.
[UPDATE March 2016] The Pool has now closed.
April 29, 2014 at 3:41 am
Very Cool. Love how they’ve simulated water with a glass floor.
April 29, 2014 at 6:15 pm
I think the design is pretty, but I am disappointed to see no wheelchair access. Since there aren’t any handrails, it would be sort of difficult for some folks to use those stairs.
April 29, 2014 at 8:50 pm
I love this. I’m so glad they didn’t just demo the space, but completely re-purposed it and with a nautical theme – so clever.