Cut in Koganecho – A Sex Shop Turned Art Gallery from Kanagawa in Japan

Originally used as an illegal sex shop, this dwelling has been converted into a tiny art studio that’s capable of accommodating an artist in residence. The building is set in the region of Yokohama in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan.

The studio was revamped by the firm Persimmon Hills Architects as part of the Koganecho Bazaar in 2016. The Bazaar is an arts festival that’s been held yearly since 2008.

The project has been titled “Cut in Koganecho”. The “cut” refers to the slicing of the floor area, which, at just XXX-square-feet (20-square-meters) over two floors, is minuscule.

During the Koganecho Bazaar the town is festooned with art and becomes and exhibition in itself. By cutting the floor plan up, the architects were able to introduce an idea of public and private space, hoping to reduce the boundary between the interior and exterior.

From the architects: “We thought to cut into the long and narrow space of the existing building and to create oblique facade with depth from frontal road. CUT is continuous with the town, and it becomes an exhibition space where people going around are pulled in by having a different axis from the surrounding building.”

For more spaces check out Quintessa Pavillion, a space for wine tasting Walker Warner Architects. Or, Atalaya Shelter, a basic retreat by architecture student Jaime Inostroza. See all spaces.

Photos © Kenta Hasegawa