With the Azabu Residence Project, Japanese lifestyle brand Karimoku Case Study presents its fourth case and continues its collaboration with architecture and design studios Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design.
The private residence project in Tokyo has been completed with a custom-made interior by lead architect and Karimoku Case Study brand initiator Keiji Ashizawa, along with bespoke furniture designed by his studio and the brand’s creative directors, Norm Architects.
The interior and furniture of the Azabu Residence were manufactured by the craftsmen at Karimoku Furniture. A key feature of this project is its interior design, which draws inspiration from elements of American Modernism while paying homage to the beauty of shadows. The Karimoku Case Study furniture collection has been updated with new pieces designed specifically for this project: the dining table A-DT02 and bench A-B01 by Keiji Ashizawa, and the modular sofa N-S02 by Norm Architects.
The custom made interior and furniture items of the Azabu Residence Project have all been manufactured by the craftsmen at Karimoku Furniture. A project specific feature is its interior playing on inspiration taken from elements of American Modernism as well as a distinct homage to the celebration of shadows. The Karimoku Case Study furniture collection will be extended with the new dining table A – DT02 and the new bench A – B01 by Keiji Ashizawa and the new modular sofa N – S02 by Norm Architects, pieces which have all been designed specifically for this case.
Commissioned with the renovation of the luxury apartment built in 1988, the Tokyo-based architecture studio Keiji Ashizawa Design worked with Norm Architects on the interior design and bespoke furnishing of the private residence in Azabu, a district in central Tokyo. Located on a hill, the Azabu Residence is tucked away in a more quiet, exclusive residential area.
Located on a spacious site rarely seen in the city of Tokyo with meticulously maintained greenery surrounding the entrance, the two design studios agreed for the rare exterior to be incorporated into the interior design.
A project specific feature is its interior which takes inspiration from the elements of American modernism synchronized with the use of stone, dark wood and textured textiles. Coinciding with these features was the designers’ creative willingness to celebrate the shadows; an inspiration taken from the well-known Japanese book, In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki. In contrast to the light-flooded Kinuta Terrace Project, their first collaboration and Karimoku Case Study’s case 01, in Azabu Residence, the designers realized a dimmer and shadow-filled space.
The resultant interior design is not only cozy and intimate but it also exemplifies the aura of a protective human dwelling. The implementation of a darker material scheme for furniture, flooring, walls and curtains with the use of smoked oak, a dark brown and dark wood veneers underline this impression and creates a calm and embracing interior for contemplation and private family life. Regardless of the dark tones used to unify the space, the beauty of this home stands out in the morning and early afternoon, when there is a visible contrast with the sunlight peeking into the space, and at night, when the space is filled with controlled light. For the furnishing, the two design studios selected a mixture of existing pieces from the current collection as well as created bespoke new furniture items that specifically fitted the new case.
Matching the overall dark wooden tones of the interior, the new dining table A – DT02 by Keiji Ashizawa convinces with its lightweight and elegant appearance. For the entrance area, Keiji Ashizawa designed the versatile bench A – B01, that impresses with the functionality of a bench and a form that invites to be used as a display stand. Norm Architects designed the new modular sofa N – S02, with soft, rounded cushions and a dark, timber frame, making use of traditional Japanese wooden joinery techniques, Karimoku is known for.
This notable feature connects the furniture piece to many of the other Karimoku Case Study products, creating coherence across the furniture collection. Specifically designed for this project is also the elegant modular wall shelf N-WS01 by Norm Architects, which is inspired by the pattern of supporting columns in architecture.
In addition to manufacturing the furniture, Karimoku Furniture is also responsible for all wooden installations in the Azabu Residence, such as the built-in cabinets, the fitted kitchen counter and the wooden doors. With the completion of the Azabu Residence Project in Tokyo, Karimoku Case Study celebrates the successful launch of case study 04, following the brand’s philosophy to create a coherent style and setting within the given architectural framework.
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