Key Operation clads Kannai Blade Residence with narrow concrete fins

Tokyo studio Key Operation has completed an apartment building in Yokohama covered with thin concrete panels that create a random pattern of light and shadow across the facades.

Key Operation designed the Kannai Blade Residence to replace a four-storey office block on a corner site close to Yokohama's Kannai Station.

Top: the building is wrapped in black concrete fins. Above: it stands 11 storeys tall

The 11-storey building contains 94 privately owned studio flats with floor areas ranging between 22 square metres and 47 square metres. The compact units are designed for single occupants or couples without children.

The architects wanted the new building to complement the post-war structures that give the neighbourhood its distinctive character. The robust but open appearance of these low-rise concrete buildings is translated into the facade treatment of the Kannai Blade Residence.

"Our strategy was to emphasise the concrete floor slabs in order to amplify and echo the area's horizontal linearity," said Key Operation. "We also used the paper-thin concrete fins to break the monotony and introduce playfulness."

Concrete fins have a 40-millimetre thickness

Vertical concrete panels with a thickness of 40 millimetres are placed randomly across the building's facades to break up the overall visual mass and create a decorative pattern that conceals the distribution of the apartments.

The depth of the panels varies between 200 millimetres and 900 millimetres, with some forming a brise soleil that shields the apartments from direct sunlight in summer, and others functioning as dividing walls between the units.

The panels are made from hybrid prestressed concrete (HPC) that uses carbon cables instead of steel rods to reinforce the material. The mix also contains polypropylene fibres so it can be used to make extremely thin panels that are also very strong.

The fins shade the interior of the building

"When you look at the entire building from the front elevation, these concrete fins appear as sharp as a Samurai's sword cutting through the air," the architects said.

"If you look at the building from the side, however, you can begin to appreciate the texture of the exposed concrete, which changes its appearance with the intensity of the light."

The HPC panels are also used to create a decorative lighting feature in the building's lobby. Acrylic rods cast into the dark concrete replicate the appearance of a night sky when illuminated from behind.

The apartments each have a narrow floor plan with a width of just 2.9 metres. Kitchen and utility areas are incorporated alongside the entrance hallways and sliding doors are used to provide privacy without requiring additional space.

The fins were used to create decorative lighting

The living areas open onto balconies incorporating concealed escape ladders that are a requirement in many Japanese apartment blocks. The balconies also discreetly accommodate services including boilers and air-conditioning units.

Internally, the apartments feature a minimal palette of wooden floors and surfaces finished in shades of white, black and grey. The balcony ceilings, handrails and external walls are also painted black to complement the grey concrete surfaces.

The interiors of apartments have a bright feel

Key Operation is an architecture and design studio based in Tokyo, founded in 2005 by Akira Koyama. The firm's broad portfolio includes a raw concrete apartment block, a cedar-clad warehouse at a cemetery and private house designed around the clients' pet cat.

Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano.

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Project credits:

Client: Tohshin Partners
Architect: Akira Koyama + Key Operation Inc.
Architects contractor: Fujiki Komuten
Structural engineer: Delta Structural Consultant
Service engineer: Comodo Service Planning
HPC consultant: Jin Hosoya Architects

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Javier de las Heras Solé wraps Spanish music school in perforated metal skin

Architect Javier de las Heras Solé has completed a music school building in the northern Spanish town of Amorebieta-Etxano, featuring a concrete podium and facades clad in weathering-steel mesh that allows partial views of the interior.

Javier de las Heras Solé won a competition to design the Zubiaur Musika Eskola, which adjoins the Basque town's existing Zeleieta Zentroa cultural centre.

According to the architect, the four-storey structure was designed as "an autonomous organism" that lightly touches the cultural centre's northern wall, but is entirely separate in terms of its structure and programme.

Top image: the building has a concrete base. Above: a glazed facade stretches across the front of the building

The existing external wall is incorporated into the project as a facade that is visible from both outside and inside the music school. This creates a connection between the old and new structures that reflects the site's evolution.

"Once the formal autonomy of the adjacent cultural centre is assumed, we understand that the Musika Eskola will work as an independent element," said the architect, "respecting the orthogonal criteria and abstraction of the facilities but still being a singular and recognisable element."

Perforated weathering steel covers the side of the building

The music school features a glazed circulation block that spans the gap between the two buildings and is recessed from the facade to accentuate the sense of visual separation.

The void between the buildings allows natural light to reach all four sides of the music school and provides space for a green courtyard that also functions as a drainage area.

Windows punctuate the perforated-steel facade

The music school's upper three storeys, including a double-height foyer on the first floor, are contained in a rectilinear volume clad in reddish-brown weathering steel.

Large openings are incorporated into the eastern and western facades, while the windows on the southern elevation are covered by screens also made from the perforated metal.

The metal-clad box projects out beyond the building's concrete podium, creating a sheltered outdoor space that protects the entrances and lightens the visual mass of the robust structure.

The music school's load-bearing facade construction allows for open interior spaces that make the most of the compact footprint.

Wood clads the interior of the double-height foyer

The building contains a reception area and utility spaces on the ground floor, with the main concert room and foyer on the first floor.

The double-height foyer is designed to provide enhanced acoustics so that it can be used as an alternative performance space if needed. A full-height window floods the space with natural light and looks out onto the adjacent park.

A glazed opening provides glimpses into adjoining rooms

Throughout the building, the concrete supporting structure and floor slabs remain visible. The rest of the material palette comprises stone flooring and walls covered with wooden battens to improve the acoustic qualities of the spaces.

De las Heras Solé previously collaborated with fellow architect Bosch Tarrús on the design for a school extension in Girona, featuring perforated metal walls that allow filtered light to reach the rooms inside.

Photography is by Adrià Goula.

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Fourteen space-efficient galley kitchens with plenty of storage

For our latest lookbook, we've rounded up 14 galley designs by architects and designers that create space-saving and efficient kitchens.

A galley kitchen features two parallel rows of units separated by a passage. It is named after the food preparation area on ships, which are traditionally narrow, cramped spaces called galleys.

Galley layouts are often when space is limited since they offer a high proportion of storage and preparation surfaces compared to circulation space, or when the kitchen area is long and narrow.

They are also efficient since the cook can quickly and easily move between tasks.

They are one of the most popular kitchen layouts. The basic galley layout can be expanded by the addition of an island between the two runs of units.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous kitchen-related posts include compact kitchens, breakfast bars, terrazzo kitchens and kitchens with islands.

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Sacha, France, by SABO Project

The kitchen in this Parisian apartment is a hybrid of two popular layouts, being part galley and part one-wall.

A counter runs the length of the kitchen diner and features a galley area at one end, where a wall-mounted oven and a refrigerator are housed in full-height units. The entire kitchen features birch plywood cabinetry.

Find out more about Sacha ›

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House in Red Concrete, Norway, Sanden+Hodnekvam Arkitekter

Rough concrete floors were combined with pine panelling and cabinetry in this classic galley kitchen in Norway.

Galley kitchens usually place the sink in front of a window with the hob on the windowless side but here the layout has been flipped, with spectacular mountain views proving a distraction for anyone working at the stove.

Walls are clad in pine panelling or rendered in cement to match the floor.

Find out more about House in Red Concrete ›

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308 S Apartment, Brazil, by Bloco Arquitetos

This apartment in Brasília was built in the 1960s by architect Lucio Costa and landscape architect Burle Marx. It was remodelled with an open-plan design that exposes its concrete structure.

Its kitchen is organised at the front of the home and combines white cabinetry with granite work surfaces. The run of cupboards that faces the dining area doubles as a breakfast bar.

Find out more about 308 S Apartment ›

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Barbican apartment, UK, by John Pawson

The minimalist overhaul of this one-bedroom apartment in the brutalist Barbican estate in London saw designer John Pawson replace the original warren-like plan with a geometric, broken-plan arrangement.

This includes a galley kitchen slotted into a passageway that leads to a small dining area.

Full-height, handless cupboards conceal appliances and belongings along one wall. The other houses a small countertop with a sink and hob, with more full-height storage to one side.

Find out more about the Barbican apartment ›

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Yurikago House, Spain, by Mas-aqui

A recessed kitchen on the ground floor of the multi-levelled Yurikago House sees flecked grey terrazzo countertops paired with terracotta floor tiles.

The end wall provides shelving on either side of a full-height unit that conceals a fridge-freezer.

Find out more about Yurikago House ›

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Kasa House, Japan, by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

This unusual cross-shaped house in Kariya, Japan by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates features an equally unusual kitchen.

The galley occupies one arm of the cross and consists of a stainless-steel countertop with a generous integrated sink on one side and timber cabinets on the other.

The wall behind the sink is open, providing a serving hatch for the small dining area area beyond.

Find out more about Kasa House ›

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La Carmina, Spain, by RÄS studio

The unusual space-saving layout of this Barcelona apartment conversion by RÄS studio features a square structure inserted into the living space that houses a bathroom and storage.

The gap between the cube and an internal wall has been used to house a compact galley kitchen that is separated from the dining area by the bathroom.

The asymmetrical kitchen has one polished granite counter, which is split in height to allow a small window to open inwards. The splashback is clad in mosaic tiles, as is the floor.

The other counter has a pine surface and splashback.

Find out more about La Carmina ›

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Valencian townhouse, Spain, DG Arquitecto Valencia

A narrow passageway in this Valencian townhouse is not quite wide enough even for a full galley kitchen. Instead, one run of units is shallower than usual and doubles as a breakfast bar.

Countertops are of marble while the floor is finished in mosaic tiles.

Find out more about the Valencian townhouse ›

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Flat 27A, Hong Kong, by Design Eight Five Two

Smart storage solutions, concealed cabinetry and custom-built furniture fill this kitchen in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay area.

A muted green colour covers the cabinetry below worksurfaces, with white cupboards on the walls and overhead spaces providing more storage.

Find out more about Flat 27A ›

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17.6-square-metre flat, Taiwan, by A Little Design

This former piano studio in Taipei measures just 17.6 square metres and 3.4 metres in height.

Its kitchen is tucked alongside the entrance hall, between two load-bearing walls. It packs a lot into its tiny footprint with storage reaching to the ceiling on both sides, open shelving and even a washing machine. A counter down one side juts out to accommodate a small electric hob.

Find out more about the 17.6-square-metre flat ›

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Shakespeare Tower apartment, UK, by Takero Shimazaki Architects

Also located within London's Barbican Estate, this apartment merges brutalism with elegant Japanese details.

It features a mainly wooden interior, with gridded timber panels used as screens to partially conceal the kitchen.

The concrete on the ceiling was left exposed and contrasts against the wooden cabinetry, while stainless steel was used across all work surfaces. Black glazed subway tiles decorate the floors.

Find out more about the Shakespeare Tower apartment ›

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Galla House, Spain, by Cavaa

Pops of colour were incorporated from other areas of the home in this kitchen designed by architecture studio Cavaa.

The studio fitted the kitchen behind a half wall with a glazed partition that stretches to the ceiling and visually connects the kitchen with the living area.

The cabinetry was finished with a light grey that links the storage solutions to its bluish-grey terrazzo floor that zones the area.

Find out more about Galla House ›

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RF Apartment, Brazil, by SuperLimão

Located within the modernist Saint Honoré Building in Sao Paulo, designed by Brazilian architect Artacho Jurado, this kitchen takes an industrial look and combines it with bold colours.

Large blue glazed tiles cover the floor, reflecting light across the space. Terracotta paint was applied across the ceiling and strip lighting, while the electrical wiring that wraps around concrete walls was painted a pale blue.

Find out more about RF Apartment ›

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Portico House, Brazil, by Bloco Arquitetos

The open-plan kitchen of this house in Brasília by Bloco Arquitetos has a mixed palette that includes timber, terracotta and concrete.

The key design statement is the cast-concrete counter that divides the kitchen from the living and dining area and turning a supporting column into a feature.

The counter doubles as a breakfast bar and offers a limited amount of storage in low-rise cupboards.

The other side of the kitchen is more conventional, featuring a one-wall run of timber-fronted units plus a counter and splashback of speckled grey surfacing material.

Find out more about Portico House ›

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This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, wallpapered interiors and colourful kitchens.

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This week Stefano Boeri unveiled his plans for Supersalone in Milan

This week on Dezeen, Salone del Mobile revealed its plans for an "unmissable" edition of the furniture fair called Supersalone curated by architect Stefano Boeri.

Dezeen teamed up with Boeri and Salone del Mobile to live stream the press conference in which plans for the fair, which has been rebranded "Supersalone", were announced.

The fair, which has been moved to September this year due to the coronavirus pndemic, will be fully open to the public for the first time. Visitors will also be able to buy the pieces on show by scanning QR codes for the products, which will be mounted on parallel walls designed by architect Andrea Caputo.

Dezeen's editor in chief Marcus Fairs also interviewed Boeri about his vision for the fair.

"I believe that this will be a way to take a risk in the right direction and demonstrate that the Salone is alive, that Milan is alive and that generally, our field is still dynamic and open to new conditions," the architect said.

Visitors share their impressions of "interesting and courageous" Venice Architecture Biennale

We also continued our coverage of the Venice Architecture Biennale, including speaking to visitors about their impressions of the "interesting and courageous" event.

The German pavilion divided visitors' opinion with its installation of QR codes on the walls of an empty building. We also covered the Bit.Bio.Bot exhibition that showed how algae can be used as a protein and an air purifier.

Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha dies at 92

The architecture world lost a "living legend" this week, as Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha died from lung cancer at the age of 92.

Mendes da Rocha was known for his signature concrete designs and his buildings are credited with modernising the city of São Paulo. Among his numerous accolades were also the RIBA Royal Gold Medal and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Graphic designer Ken Garland dies aged 92

Graphic designer Ken Garland, who re-designed the iconic peace sign for the Campaign Against Nuclear Disarmament, passed away at the age of 92.

He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Medal at the London Design Festival 2020 for his "significant contribution to the development of graphic design since the mid-twentieth century" and was a teacher, photographer and writer as well as a designer.

The architecture world also lost Terence Riley, the former chief curator of architecture and design at MoMA, who died at the age of 66.

Riley held the role at MoMA from 1992 until 2005. He was the director of the Miami Art Museum between 2006 and 2010 and lived in Miami until the end of his life.

Little Island designed to create "the feeling of leaving Manhattan behind" says Thomas Heatherwick

British designer Thomas Heatherwick spoke to Dezeen about his newly opened Little Island project in New York, City, which he told Dezeen was designed to enable visitors to "leave Manhattan behind". The park sits in the Hudson River, close to the Meatpacking District on Manhattan's west side, and features an undulating topography supported by 132 concrete columns.

Heatherwick's Vessel, also in New York, reopened this week with a new buddy system as well as signage and messages to prevent suicides.

Photos show supertall skyscraper Central Park Tower nearing completion in New York

Three tall buildings were in the news this week. Scottish studio Kettle Collective unveiled its vision for a 150-storey supertall skyscraper in Russia that would be the second tallest building in the world.

In the UK, a 135-metre-high double tower in Croydon, South London, was completed by HTA Design, which says it is the world's tallest modular housing scheme. The towers are covered in bottle-green glazed terracotta tiles and have 38 and 44 stories.

New York is set to get the tallest residential building in the world once the 472-metre Central Park Tower, which topped out in September 2019, officially completes later this year.

Obama and Bono praise David Adjaye's "genius" at star-studded Royal Gold Medal virtual event

In awards news, British-Ghanian architect David Adjaye was presented with his RIBA Royal Gold Medal at a star-studded virtual event, which saw Barack Obama and Bono among the many celebrities who called in to praise him.

House Recast by Studio Ben Allen also won an award this week. The "rich and interesting refurbishment" of a Victorian house was named the best new home improvement in London at the Don't Move, Improve! awards.

Paulo Merlini Architects perches gabled volumes on top of stone plinth at Casa Rio

Popular projects this week included Paulo Merlini Architects' house with a stone-plinth base, a palazzo in Rome that has been transformed into an Apple Store by Foster + Partners and a London council house with pink plaster walls.

Our lookbooks this week focused on the kitchen and looked at breakfast bars and compact kitchens.

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week's top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don't miss anything.

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