Please take a look at it along with the image below.
Concept
We live in a world where social networking services are widespread and digital technology has become commonplace. The sound, light, and touch of “flickering water” always bring us comfort and peace of mind. This effect cannot be expressed in the digital world. Since ancient times, Japanese people have been in contact with water for practical purposes such as cooking, bathing, and washing.
In addition, ponds have been used in Japanese gardens to draw out the appeal of water visually. In contrast to Japan’s history, we noticed that children enjoy playing freely in other countries, and adults are healed by interacting with water through “POOL.”With this idea, we are proposing a new space in this historic “Tawara-An Retreat” that combines “POOL” (heated swimming pool) with the idea of satisfying one’s soul while interacting with water. This way of thinking is something that has never existed before in Japanese history.
Method
We think that the value of “Tawara-An Retreat” is the frames provided by the 124-year-old pillars, beams, walls, and roof. We believe that “POOL” is effective as a space that preserves such components to the maximum extent possible and makes them feel even more attractive. As for the actual renovations, the first floor is converted into a “POOL” using the “concrete press technique,” and the existing parts are protected with protective paints. The walls and roof of the pool will be reduced and partially replaced with glass to create an open feeling and increase the presence of the existing parts.
A rest area and a restaurant where visitors can enjoy Japanese sweets will be placed to enjoy a longer stay. The various forms of “POOLs” made in the machiya house will create a sense of comfort different from the stagnant city pools, with a sense of dimension ingrained in the Japanese minds. This is also a space for children, a new target for the Gosho Minami area of Kyoto, older adults who have difficulty walking around the city, and even locals to enjoy just as much as adult tourists.
Image
This place will give people the experiences to drift through the Kyoto machiya like water plants, sway in the water, look at the ceiling and walls reflected in the water, float, sink, dive, and more without being unbounded by the traditional eye-level perspective. They will experience “Tawara-An Retreat” from a new perspective and with a slower flow of time.
Co-Producer：譚蕾
