Japan noodle shop makeover

Live and work spaces have a tricky set of tasks to manage – beyond the layout itself, there is the look. In the case of this fun noodle shop, the architects managed to tap into the traditional style of a regional townhome while also creating enough visual interest to suggest a retail purpose.

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Japan noodle shop wavy facade

Designed by ISSHO Architects (images by Koichi Torimuraark), dark wood louvers tap into a long-standing approach of using latticework to suggest the nature or type of shop, but in this case, the forms are modulated and distinctively modern – they still say ‘noodles’, perhaps, but in a very new and different way.

Japan noodle shop ISSHO Architects facade
Japan noodle shop ISSHO Architects facade wavy

This curvilinear is carried into the ceiling of the restaurant space, flipping from black to a series of white slats that interact with the lighting above. Narrow and functional, the first floor is given over toe the noodle shop, while the above levels are saved for the residential parts of the program.

More from the architects

“Located in central Tokyo, right around the corner from the major thoroughfare Meguro Street, is a ‘soba’ noodle shop, the owner’s residence situated above. The building has Machiya-style wooden louvers, invoking a traditional Japanese townhouse, but the depth of each louver is varied sequentially across the face. Regionally different patterns of light spill through the façade from the interior, allowing a gradual change of character at dawn, especially as viewed from the main street.”

About ISSHO Architects

“ISSHO aims at creating a memorable design with people involved in a project. We would like to create and share the sensuousness design which is over the place. It will be innovative work. We are creating the new design which is involved in our life.It’s going to be product designs ,housings , shops ,apartments ,commercial buildings and urban planning and so on. We are using the new technology and collaborating with any professionals.And we are pursuing the good design with you.”