Karimoku Research Center, DESIGNED BY Keiji Ashizawa Design
In Tokyo’s Nishiazabu district, Keiji Ashizawa Design has turned what was once a bland, utilitarian concrete office into the Karimoku Research Center, an architectural laboratory for wood, making, and meaning. The renovation strips back non-structural elements to expose a raw framework of concrete, leaving a monolithic shell with muted gray tones, high ceilings, and large industrial windows. The result is a neutral, honest backdrop where wood and light take center stage. Inside, the program is carved into three major zones connected by a soaring, open atrium: a basement “Study” for talks and events; a ground-floor “Archive” gallery; and a Materials Lab above, where wood samples, prototypes, and exhibitions unfold. These areas balance rawness and warmth — exposed concrete and steel coexisting with finely measured wooden accents shaped by Karimoku’s craftsmanship. Installations show how wood ages with weather, touch, and time, transforming the building itself into a living classroom. What’s striking about the Research Center is its philosophical backbone: the belief that tradition is not static, but generative. The design avoids nostalgia or ornament, instead juxtaposing enduring concrete with evolving wood. For design enthusiasts, it’s a lesson in how architecture aligned with craft and clarity can shape not only objects but our ways of seeing: material, memory, and the landscapes we often overlook.
