Article source: Kengo Kuma & Associates

This shop, specialized in selling pineapple cake (popular sweet in Taiwan), is in the shape of a bamboo basket. It is built on a joint system called “Jiigoku-Gumi,” traditional method used in Japanese wooden architecture (often observed in Shoji: vertical and cross pieces in the same width are entwined in each other to form a muntin grid).

Image Courtesy © Daici Ano

• Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates
• Project: SunnyHills
• Location: Minami-Aoyama, Japan
• Photography: Daici Ano
• Structure: Jun Sato Structural Engineering
• Facilities: Kankyo Engineering
• Construction: Satohide Corporation
• Site Area: 175.69m2
• Building Area: 102.36m2
• Total Floor Area: 293.00m2
• No. of Floors: BF1, 1F, 2F, RF
• Structure: Reinforced Concrete Partially Timber
• Construction Period: 2012.November〜2013.December
• Primary use: Store (retail)
• Client: Sunny Hills Japan
• Design Team: Kengo Kuma, Kenji Miyahara, Hiroaki Akiyama, Yuteki Dozono, Masahiro Minami
• Hvac: San-ei Setsubi Kogyo
• Plumbing: San-ei Setsubi Kogyo
• Electric: Kokko Systems
• Building Coverage: 58.26% (maximum allowed: 60%)
• Floor area ratio: 166.77% (maximum allowed: 281.60%)