Light-Light Shelter

thin-walled architecture by apposing 4 HP curve shell units

This is a delicatessen store built in poor ambient environment. Walls of neighboring house surround three side of it. And the only side free from the dominant wall is facing north. In order to place many kitchen instruments, we were obliged to create much floor space, making the most of the small budget and small plot of land.
My answer to this challenge was to create well-lighted, strong, thin-walled architecture by apposing 4 HP curve shell units. Each unit has crooked roof, just as you see right now in this picture.

We used the same technique as the one used for XXXX to strengthen the structure. What makes this work unique is its HP curve shell roof.

Sunlight is gathered with curved HP roof, comes in through the triangle-shaped slits, reflected by curved HP ceiling and throws a soft light all over the room. At night, the light thrown by lighting equipments without shades is reflected by the same curved HP ceiling and illuminates the room efficiently. In addition to its original role as a structure that creates interior space, this architecture serves as a huge lampshade itself.

There’s no boundary between architecture and lighting equipment here. Eliminating it was a mighty solvency that meets so many requirements.

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『SHINKENCHIKU』2004.11/Shinkenchiku-sha