This building was originally built as a pawn shop/warehouse in late 19th century and it was abandoned since 1935 as the business closed. This building is a rare wooden Kura’ because warehouses built in this era is mostly made of stones and bricks to protect property. Even this wooden Kura is constructed more than a century ago, it was preserved in an excellent condition due to its characteristics of a traditional style warehouse: humidity control and breathability. Therefore framework was kept as it is, but removed ceiling into an open ceiling and reused most of the materials.

Respect, reevaluate and revive remainings whilst honoring the structure of historical building from over a century ago is the essence of this project. To transform interior of a traditional Japanese warehouse `Kura’ into an office/community space while keeping exterior juxtaposes state of warehouse. Thoughtful execution was required to create unification between symbolic exterior and modern functions. We kept the original framework, and made the most of leftovers. Furthermore, revived colors of traditional yet eco-friendly materials used throughout interior create pleasant, soothing ambience.