TAO MANAGEMENT GROUP _ OFFICE ENTRANCE - KANAGAWA
2018
We were given the office entrance, nothing more than a small corner space. The question was, what could we add as a design to the entryway, the face of the office, between visiting clients and those who meet with them.
Given the nature of the work, we wanted to maintain a sense of austerity and dignity. We created a base from hard shapes with sharp lines, wrapped them with soft, warm colors as a finish, and added the subtle charm of decorations that moved gently to create light and shadows.
The flat wall bearing the sign, set at a 30-degree angle to the entrance door, is the result of a simple design that we infused into the single wall. This angle receives the lines of sight of people outside and visitors discreetly, rather than head-on, and at the same time, naturally guides them towards the back.
The connected rings that float between the floor and the ceiling are delicate objects that shimmer when touched. One further object that is created from these, the shadows, magnify and convert these to a fantastical, unfathomable existence. On the concrete object placed in the niche, the steps that climb upward at an angle correspond to the diagonal line of the niche itself, and the gold ring placed on top harmonizes with the object described above.
Here, you can see the mixture of different personalities, each asserting a different character such as "hard," "soft," "heavy," "light," "circular,” "floating," and "light and shadows." However, the atmosphere that is created is one where such dissimilarities accept each other and coalesce. We believe this situation is similar to the way this office responds to the needs of different clients and matters. This humble project is an homage to their attitude towards their work.
TEXT by NOBUAKI TANAKA
TAO MANAGEMENT GROUP _ OFFICE ENTRANCE
LOCATION:
KANAGAWA, JAPAN
CLIENT:
DESIGN: STUDIO NINÉ - NOBUAKI TANAKA
INTERIOR DECORATION : STUDIO NINÉ - MASAKO MAESHIRO