This is a small workplace for a surface design company in Osaka (Designers FREE .Inc.) that has exhibited at many international design exhibitions. Materials from all over the world are processed here and converted into digital data, which is then printed into a variety of products. The new location required a workshop area , scanner area , desk space , and meeting booths, all within a limited footprint.
The existing tenant space had a ceiling height of nearly 6M and a concrete structure with a strong presence, and we came up with a plan to utilise the size of this space. By incorporating different floor heights, frames according to function and circulation, the aim was to create an office space with a gradual connection of activities within a single room, while dividing the area.
The upper part of the room is dedicated to surface design, where richly textured natural materials, archived photographs from around the world and surface designs can be displayed. The meeting booths, located one level higher, provide an excellent overview of these exhibits. It serves as a place for communication and contemplation of ideas and brands.
Wunderkammer rooms, which were once popular in medieval Europe, functioned as a social space where curiosities from the East and West were collected according to the collector's tastes. As the meaning of gathering and working in real spaces has been questioned since the outbreak of the pandemic, we hope that the textures collected and produced through the eyes of designers will bring messages to real spaces and become offices where communication can emerge.