all photos by kenta hasegawa
Hundreds of hinoki wooden blocks, each connected by stainless steel rods, have been draped over an office building in Tokyo, creating a latticed curtain that is both dense, but also airy. The beautiful entranceway, newly installed over the summer, creates multiple visual effects depending on the distance and angle of the viewer.
The wooden curtain was a collaboration between Tsukagoshi Miyashita Architects and structural engineer Yasuhiro Kaneda, who installed the new entranceway for The ParkRex Minami-Azabu, an office building in Tokyo.
The building is situated along a busy street and highway in Tokyo. The curtain not only serves an aesthetic purpose but it also helps shade the entranceway from traffic noise and harsh southern sunlight. The aroma of the hinoki wooden blocks also helps counteract the exhaust fumes, creating the effect of a small oasis within a concrete jungle.
The experience of approaching and entering it is akin to that of entering a temple grounds. At the two entranceways, the wooden blocks recede into the space, creating an effect of a noren curtain being pulled aside.
