{"id":284159,"date":"2025-11-14T14:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T14:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/284159\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T14:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T14:45:13","slug":"fifty-metre-long-skylight-spans-length-of-kitaoka-group-headquarters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/284159\/","title":{"rendered":"Fifty-metre-long skylight spans length of Kitaoka Group headquarters"},"content":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0fifty-metre-long skylight<\/a> cuts through the centre of Kitaoka Group Head Office Building, renovated<\/a> by Tokyo studio Wataru Architects in Mima City, Japan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wataru Architects<\/a> redesigned the 40-year-old building belonging to construction company Kitaoka Group into an open, light-filled office<\/a>\u00a0with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape and local community.<\/p>\n

\"SteelWataru Architects has renovated Kitaoka Group’s headquarters in Japan<\/p>\n

“The project aims to redefine the values of working environments in Japan, starting from the local context,” Wataru Architects principal Wataru Sato told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“This integration embraces the surrounding natural landscape and fosters communication among employees, their families and the broader community,” Sato said.<\/p>\n

\"CantileveredA five-metre cantilevered canopy extends from the entrance<\/p>\n

While the majority of the office’s prefabricated<\/a> steel structure was retained, it was split into two long and narrow halves, nodding to the valley on either side of the nearby Yoshino River.<\/p>\n

In the middle, the studio introduced an atrium topped by a continuous skylight that runs along the length of the roof, flooding the interior with daylight.<\/p>\n

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This atrium connects the ground and first floors, allowing for natural ventilation and improving what the studio described as a previously dark and disconnected layout.<\/p>\n

“The existing building has been transformed by a luminous void that draws daylight and a breeze deep into the interior,” said Sato. “As the atrium spans the full depth of the building, airflow is evenly dispensed, delivering a gentle breeze to every corner.”<\/p>\n

\"FirstA seven-metre-tall tree sits at the heart of the plan<\/p>\n

Opting for a pared-back interior scheme, Wataru Architects combined original tiling with plywood panels and neutral finishes, in contrast with red-painted beams and pops of greenery.<\/p>\n

This includes a seven-metre-high Benjamin tree at the centre of the plan and a selection of plants that are dotted throughout the interior.<\/p>\n

\"CommunalThe ground floor is open to family members<\/p>\n

“The palette embraces low-contrast tones, blending diverse textures and layered paint hues to create depth,” said Sato.<\/p>\n

The ground floor is designed as a public space where employees can work while also being open to families and community members.<\/p>\n

\"SkylightA 50-metre-long skylight spans the length of the building<\/p>\n

Outside, the building’s entrance has been updated with a five-metre-long cantilevered<\/a> canopy, while the facade has been revamped with operable glass sashes to invite airflow.<\/p>\n

Around the entrance, the landscape has been turned into a park for the local community, finished with layered vegetation and “an oversized 3D-printed vase”.<\/p>\n

\"CentralA central atrium connects the ground and first floor spaces<\/p>\n

Limiting the environmental impact of the project was a key aspect of the studio’s approach, which involved reusing the existing structure and finishes, as well as harnessing natural light and ventilation.<\/p>\n

“The design maximises natural light and ventilation, eliminating the need for daytime lighting and reducing air conditioning depending on the seasons,” Sato stated.<\/p>\n

\"StaircaseThe studio opted for a pared-back interior palette<\/p>\n

Kitaoka Group office headquarters is shortlisted in the small workplace project category of the Dezeen Awards 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other projects in the category include an experimental whisky lab by Barth\u00e9l\u00e9my Grino<\/a> and JSa’s self-designed studio in a Mexican factory<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Keita Yamamoto<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A\u00a0fifty-metre-long skylight cuts through the centre of Kitaoka Group Head Office Building, renovated by Tokyo studio Wataru Architects…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284160,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,83551,64,63,117347,460,134,941,55847,75194,112515,53961,61745,61746,70336],"class_list":{"0":"post-284159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-atriums","12":"tag-au","13":"tag-australia","14":"tag-cantilevers","15":"tag-design","16":"tag-entertainment","17":"tag-japan","18":"tag-japanese-architecture","19":"tag-office-architecture","20":"tag-prefabricated-buildings","21":"tag-renovations","22":"tag-sectionall","23":"tag-sectionarchitecture","24":"tag-skylights"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}