Airy building for Udon

Edge of the Wood in Miki, Japan by Matsuya Artworks

Udon is a traditional Japanese noodle dish whose origins are lost in the mists of time. The dish has long been prepared and served in premises as traditional as the food: small, simple spaces with a wooden structure that could easily be built by most Japanese carpenters. But while the dish tastes more or less the same as it always has, Japanese architecture has evolved over a thousand years. When noodle restaurant Inami Koro planned to open a new outlet, they therefore wanted a modern interpretation of the classic design. It was, however, important to carry over traditional technology to the new interpretation, so that ordinary builders could recreate a similar building without needing specialist knowledge and in order to keep costs down.

The result was a minimalist but airy building, where wooden posts combine with glass to create a light and welcoming space with wooden fixtures and fittings that feel authentic. The biggest change is the roof, which has been rotated around the projecting eaves. It is almost flat, with just a slight incline of three percent so that rainwater will run off.

Read more at matsuya-art-works.co.jp

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