A musically aesthetic building

This commercial building for a long-established music company comprises music classrooms, instrument sales and storage areas, and the company’s main offices.

The property is small and irregularly shaped, and it is located in Tokyo’s Kanda-Ochanomizu district, which is known for its many music stores designed by Kensuke Aisaka from Aisaka Architects’ Atelier. The customer demanded a structure that could efficiently combine various activities, such as piano, violin, and other instrument instruction rooms, a performance hall, a professional recording equipment shop, wholesale instrument storage, and offices to manage these various components of the enterprises.

 The needs for soundproofing, views, daylighting, shade and usage time varied on each floor, and there was a strong possibility that these requirements would change in the future. As a result, we chose a double skin that keeps a consistent outside appearance regardless of how rooms are used or whether windows are open. We decided on a mesh membrane that sways at high altitudes, can be quickly rounded in all directions for excellent sky-view ratios, and is light and air porous.

 The fireproof external mesh membrane, made of polyester fibres covered with PVC resin, blocks visibility from the outside while allowing people within to see out. A solar reflectance rate of 33 percent reduces the air conditioning load by 28 percent. The membrane can be twisted in three dimensions, and because it is light and perforated, there is little structural stress from the material’s weight or wind pressure. Because there is no danger of the material falling to the ground, it is simple to repair, maintain, and reuse. The pandemic covid-19 has boosted the desirability of facades like this one, which improves natural ventilation while maintaining privacy.

The building’s design includes the irregular lot shape, height and setback standards, essential elements such as emergency stairs, balconies, plumbing, and wiring, and the necessity to represent the company’s identity. We used shapes inspired by numerous musical instruments and tweaked them to enhance capacity. The mesh-covered façade resembles a speaker blasting music into the area, transforming the structure into a massive billboard advertising the enterprise inside.

for more info visit : www.aisaka.info