Base Minami Aoyama is a three-storied mini fashion business office tenant complex. Its gate-shaped frames line up in slightly shifted way like a series of modern art sculptures. Within these frames, printed glass screens overlap each other, creating unique scenes that changes as you walk in.  The slits between gate-shaped frames filter sunlight just like trees and make interior space naturally rich in light and warm atmosphere. These slits run from glass wall to top-light, keeping each gate-shaped frame independent through the top-light.  Each gate-shaped frame creates one unit of space composition. First and second floor have 18 space varied in its size from 4 to 10 square meters. Fashion related office tenants, such as apparel boutique company, jewelry shop company, accessory shop company, nail salon company, design atelier are expected. On the third floor is a common area and meeting room, in addition to the largest tenant space for cafe or restaurant with terrace and roof balcony area where can be also used for tables.  Having slits with disjunct tubular structure is very important as the element of design and also as the structural theme of this project. Seven gate-shaped frames varying in its size act as thin rigid frames in span axis while they act as cantilever columns from the ground vertically. 

Structural Design  

Having slits with disjunct tubular structure is very important as the element of design and also as the structural theme of this project.  Seven gate-shaped frames varying in its size act as thin rigid frames in span axis while they act as cantilever columns from the ground vertically. With each gate-shaped frame that functions as independent structure, it became possible to have shifted plane arrangements, creating slits that bring great sense of openness in this compact building.  

Architectural Firm: Sasaki Architecture; Architects: Ryuichi Sasaki + Kazuya Nishimura; Producer: Komura Agency; Structure: Takushi Nakata / Rhythm Design; Contarctor: Shin Corporation; Total floor area: 262.71 SQM; Building area: 97.357 SQM; Site area: 164.60 SQM; Principal structure: reinforced concrete construction; Location: Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Photography: Ryota Atarashi except bma-using.jpg, Ryuichi Sasaki