Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE

Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, Glass, Facade, ConcreteSmoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, ConcreteSmoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Interior Photography, Stairs, Glass, FacadeSmoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Interior Photography, WindowsSmoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - More Images+ 15

  • Architect In Charge: Tomohiko Amemiya
  • Design Team: R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE, Tomohiko Amemiya, Yuta Hosoya, Shuhei Ogawa
  • Client: Hamura City
  • Landscape: Masako Yamazaki, GA Yamazaki
  • City: Hamura
  • Country: Japan
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Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, Glass, Facade, Concrete
© Hayato Wakabayashi

Text description provided by the architects. A small smoking space combining two shipping containers appeared in front of a railway station in Tokyo, reflecting the increasing need for isolated smoking spaces for the purpose of preventing second-hand smoke. The site is the space left between the station platform, the escalator and elevator to the station, and the police box. We put two 20-foot shipping containers here, one horizontally and one vertically.

Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, Concrete
© Hayato Wakabayashi
Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Image 16 of 20
First Floor Plan
Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Interior Photography, Glass
© Hayato Wakabayashi

About half of the horizontally placed container is external space so that they can be used continuously with the surrounding area. The vertically placed container has a 5 meters high ceiling space, and the rising airflow exhausts smoke from the upper part of the container, reducing the cost for the air cleaner machine.

Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Interior Photography
© Hayato Wakabayashi

The two containers are arranged diagonally to reduce the pressure on surrounding people. Large windows frame the surrounding daily landscape, allow light and wind pass by, and place visitors in the midst of the ordinary scenery around the station.

Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, Glass, Facade
© Hayato Wakabayashi
Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Image 18 of 20
East Elevation
Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Hayato Wakabayashi

A good "scent" planting (Orange osmanthus, Daphne odora, Gardenia, Chinese quince, Meratia praecox, Agnus castus, Brazilian sage) was planted in the niches created by the diagonal arrangement. By reversing the unpleasant image of "smelly" smoking area, we aimed to create a comfortable place for both smokers and non-smokers as like a natural park.

Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE - Exterior Photography, Glass, Facade, Concrete
© Hayato Wakabayashi

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Project location

Address:Ozaku Station, 5-chōme Ozakudai, Hamura, Tōkyō-to 205-0001, Japan

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Smoking Box in Tokyo / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE" 05 Jul 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/943005/smoking-box-in-tokyo-r-urban-design-office> ISSN 0719-8884

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