Interview about Chinza No Manma Ao Architecture, winner of the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award 2024
The concept of this architecture is based on the Shi-de, which represents a special area in the Japanese Shin-to religion, and the shape of the Shi-de has been incorporated into the architecture. The logo of the store is based on the concept of the Shime-nawa, a sacred rope that represents the sacred area along with the Shi-de, and the shape of the rope is used as the logo symbol. The design thus embodies the Japanese concept that everything from the architecture to the brand is related in meaning.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe "Chinza" in the restaurant's name means "the calming of divine spirits" in Shinto, and the owner's theme was "not just a meal, but to face food as the source of life."To embody this theme, the building was designed as a special space where the source of life, food, gathers, and is composed of a staggered shape based on the motif of the shape of "Shide," a paper streamer that symbolizes a special realm in Shinto.The owner also requested a flexible spatial design that would be open from morning to night, and could accommodate both normal use and private use by reservation.For this reason, the shape of the "Shide" is used to divide the space in two, allowing the private and open areas to be used separately.In this way, the meaning of Shinto and the architecture became one, and the interpretation of the space evolved.
In Japan, it has long been believed that gods reside in certain special rocks, and shrines have been built there. Placing this rock, which symbolizes sanctity, in the kitchen, the center of dining, creates an atmosphere in which meals have a spiritual weight.Shirasu is also used for the walls, which has a moisture-regulating effect that keeps the space comfortable. Expressing the softness and solemn atmosphere of natural materials such as stone, wood, and earth with the simplicity of Shintoism brings out the sense of life that resides in food and encourages a positive attitude when facing food. This spatial design creates space in the mind, resulting in a dining experience that cultivates spiritual richness.
"Chinza No Manma Ao" Architecture did not reproduce the shape of the shrine as it is, but incorporated the structure and Shinto meaning of the shrine architecture and reconstructed it to suit the site conditions and functions as a restaurant to balance tradition and modernity.In particular, the composition of the building is based on the use of the space required by the owner, and the spirituality and Shinto meaning of the shop are blended into it. This brings together the spirit of traditional shrine architecture and the convenience of modern restaurants.
In the project, three stores will be set up on the site of the hospital, and the project started with which area each store would choose, and the area where the trees were originally gathered was selected.It has been decided by the owner until the stage of building a Japanese restaurant and Shinto-themed building, and when deciding on an area on the premises, the area where these trees gather is regarded as the “Chinju no Mori" of Shinto.Then, in the form of utilizing the original trees, the direction was set to take into account the shape of the building, the location, and the way light enters, and the concept of a shop was fused while making use of nature around it.
The approach to incorporating morning light into the architecture of "Chinza No Manma Ao" stems from the store owner's desire for the importance of breakfast. In addition, the shopkeeper cherished the "food that fosters life" and wanted them to feel its value, and we reflected in the architectural design the effects of the light in the morning and the capture of scenery on the food space.
In this project, the essence of Japanese Shinto culture and its significance has been condensed into a modern building. We hope that this project will reinterpret the meaning of traditional culture, merge it with contemporary architecture, and showcase the potential for design to inherit cultural meaning in a new form.
Based on the “Shide” (which symbolizes a special area in Shinto), which is characterized by its alternating shapes, the architecture also has an alternating configuration, and by dividing the space into private and open areas, the design can flexibly respond to the owner's needs, from regular use to private use by reservation, thus achieving harmony by combining the significance of Shinto with the practicality of the space. The design is a fusion of Shinto meaning and the practicality of the space, achieving harmony.
With the goal of “creating a special realm where life resides,” we used the “Shide,” which indicates a special realm in Shintoism, for the physical space, and the “Warahimo,” which also indicates a special realm in Shintoism, for the brand identity.By combining these two semantics, the “special domain” in Shintoism was embodied as a meaning.
We have seen Shirasu walls used in the architecture of Kagoshima several times in the past.And this time, in “Chinza no Manma Ao,” “chinza,” which means that the divine spirit resides in a place, and “food,” which means “to receive things from the land,” are all associated with the earth, and so Shirasu, a characteristic of the earth of Kagoshima, was used as a symbol of the local earth.This choice not only provides functionality, but also a symbolic meaning that expresses the spirit of Shintoism and the characteristics of the region.
In the process of researching and executing this project, when I took a fresh look at Japanese culture and Japanese Shintoism, I realized that the simplicity of the expressions therein creates a sense of a tentative world, and that it holds a deep meaning.This simplicity has the potential to evolve into a new style while retaining cultural value in conceptual design. Unlike inorganic contemporary design, we felt that designs that are simple yet express rich cultural qualities indicate the next direction of contemporary design.
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