photos by Yoshiro Masuda | click to enlarge
The IRO hair salon is located in Osaka, on a nondescript side-street on the ground floor of a large condo. IRO, which literally means color, boasts a minimal interior that has been stripped of all bells and whistles. Bare concrete, wood and brick come together to complete the space, thanks to architect Reiichi Ikeda.
One unique property that runs consistently throughout IRO, which opened in April of 2012, is the diagonally placed wood paneling, which compliments the diagonal stripes on the frosted window. These are placed at an exact angle of 23.43 degrees, which just happens to be the same axis that the earth is rotating on.
The artfully designed logo by Yuma Harada follows the same concept, with the O rotated to be in line with earth. And IRO has a secondary meaning, referring to the different shades and colors created by the seasons. “The light streaming through the diagonal lines and its shadows shifts from season to season,” explains the architect.
