colored glass apertures reveal tokyo bar's lively interior through bright blue entrance

"Renovated by Ateliers Mumu Tashiro, Ogikubo Bar is a modest neighborhood located within a residential area in Ogikubo, Suginami-ku, , . Approximately ten years after its opening, the project underwent its first architectural intervention, limited intentionally to the replacement of the entrance door. The renovation explored how a single architectural element could alter spatial perception, presence, and interaction without modifying the existing interior layout."

"Ateliers Mumu Tashiro began the design process with an investigation into the color blue. Widely present in Japanese cultural and material traditions, such as indigo and navy, blue was selected for its visibility and legibility in low-light conditions, making it suitable for a nocturnal program like a bar. Multiple pigment combinations were tested, including blends with gray, black, green, and yellow. Ultimately, a single, unmodified blue was chosen for its clarity and consistency."

"Originally established in a domestic garage setting, the bar developed gradually into a well-used local venue. To preserve the familiarity of the interior atmosphere and avoid extended closure, the scope of renovation was constrained to the entrance. This limitation became the central design premise, positioning the door as both an architectural and spatial device rather than a purely functional threshold."

Ogikubo Bar underwent a focused renovation that replaced only its entrance door approximately ten years after opening. The intervention aimed to alter spatial perception, presence, and interaction without changing the interior layout, preserving the familiar atmosphere and avoiding extended closure. The door was designed as an architectural and spatial device rather than merely a threshold. Designers investigated blue pigments drawn from Japanese traditions for visibility in low light, ultimately selecting an unmodified blue applied to lauan plywood so the wood grain influences the surface. The blue door serves as a compact visual marker in the residential streetscape. The door includes ten glass panes varying in color, texture, and transparency.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine