Naha City Gallery & Apartment House in Okinawa, Japan by 1100 Architect

The Naha project consists a gallery, retail space, partially submerged parking lot, and 3 rental apartments that each occupies an entire floor. The varied programs are unified by a consistent focus on the permeable interface of interior and exterior. Transparent, translucent, or opaque glass is used depending on the amount of privacy desired.

Clear glass showcases the gallery and retail space and opens up the living and dining areas of the apartments, whereas translucent and opaque glass envelop the apartment bedrooms and bathrooms.The east and west walls are solid cast concrete. An engaging contradiction is achieved as channels cut out along the edges of these massive walls and floors evoke a lightweight appearance.

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Light enters through small, deep windows placed along the stairwell on the east side and the apartment kitchens on the west. This design feature provides dramatic lighting effects without sacrificing a private, enclosed feeling. Cast concrete is a durable, affordable and widely used material in Okinawa.

Architect: 1100 Architect
Principal: Juergen Riehm
Project Architect: Joanna Chen
Project Managers: Bo Lee, Sebastian Kaempf
Designer: Jesse Wark
MEP Engineer: American Engineering
Corporation Lighting: Litelab/ Continental Lighting
General Contractor: Katsuko Tokuchi, Taishin Kensetsu
Constructed Area: 650 sqm
Photographs: Shinito Sato