Tottori, Japan
Kengo Kuma & Associates designs a visitor center and café that overlooks the Tottori Sand Dunes, using wood abundantly in a hybrid structure of cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete.
Named Tottori Takahama Café, it has a cross-laminated timber exterior and a sculptural pergola that provide a warm texture that blends in with the surrounding sand dunes.
Envisioned as a “staircase to the sky” as Kengo Kuma states, the structure is an homage to Tottori, which is well-known for folk crafts (“Mingei”) culture, and interior elements incorporate local craftsmanship.
The sand dunes are part of San’in Kaigan Geopark, which is part of The UNESCO Global Geoparks.
The café’s chairs are designed with cross-laminated timber, while light pendants are made of Washi paper sprinkled with local sand.
The bathroom sinks are made by Nakai-gama, a Tottori Mingei pottery workshop, which uses a beautiful combination of green and black glazing.
Project: Tottori Takahama Café
Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Lead Architect: Kengo Kuma
Design Team: Minoru Yokoo, Taichi Kuma, Hirono Yamamoto, and Yoo Shiho
Photographers: Kawasumi-Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office