Excerpt: Tottori Takahama Cafe by Kengo Kuma and Associates, overlooking the Tottori Sand Dunes, is envisioned as a “staircase to the sky,” combining cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete into a hybrid structure. The architecture celebrates Mingei culture and local craftsmanship through interior elements like timber furniture, light pendants made of Washi paper, and pottery sinks, creating a space rooted in tradition.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] We designed an observatory/café that overlooks the Tottori Sand Dunes, using wood abundantly in a hybrid structure of cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete.
Envisioned as a “staircase to the sky,” the cross-laminated timber exterior provides a warm texture that blends in with the surrounding sand dunes.
As an homage to Tottori, which is well-known for folk crafts (“Mingei”) culture, interior elements incorporate local craftsmanship. 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.
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