Kyoto Serenity

京都という街には、時間の流れとともに美しさを増すものが多くあります。新しいものが生まれながらも、古いものがただ朽ちるのではなく、馴染み、溶け合い、ゆるやかに更新されていく。そんな京都の空気の中で、築52年のマンションと向き合いました。 このリノベーションで目指したのは、「新しくすること」ではなく「もともとそこにあったかのような空間をつくること」。それでいて、決して古びた印象にはならず、自然と馴染みながら、心地よく時間が流れる場所にしたいと考えました。 築年数のある建物だからこそ、構造的な制約があり、間取り変更の自由度も限られていました。それでも、空間が持つ本来のポテンシャルを引き出しながら、住まう人が静かに呼吸できる余白をどうつくるかを考えました。 天井と壁には左官仕上げを施し、光がやわらかく滲むようにしています。朝の陽射しがゆるやかに広がり、夕暮れには壁にやさしい影が落ちる。建具や家具には無垢板を使用し、時間とともに深みを増す素材を選びました。扉の握り手には透明のアクリルを採用し、無機質なようでいて空間に軽やかさを加えています。 そして、この空間の印象を決める大きな要素となったのが、リビングダイニングをぐるりと包み込むカーテン。単なる仕切りではなく、光をどう受け止め、どう空間に取り込むかを考え抜きました。生地選びや縫製の工夫を重ね、ようやくたどり着いたのは、風が通るたびにふわりと揺れ、まるで空中でダンスしているような軽やかさ。静かな空間の中で、光と風が織りなすささやかな動きを生み出す、そんな存在になりました。 京都の街と同じように、この住まいもまた、時間とともに美しくなっていく。そう信じて、余白を活かしながら設計しました。新しくつくるのではなく、もともとそこにあったように。それでいて、これから住む人の時間に寄り添いながら、ゆっくりと変化していく場所になればと思います。 -------------- The Beauty of Time and Space – A Renovation of a 52-Year-Old Apartment in Kyoto Kyoto is a city where time flows gently, layering history with quiet beauty. It is a place where the new and the old coexist—not in opposition, but in harmony. Things do not simply decay with age; they settle, merge, and are gradually renewed. In this atmosphere, I took on the challenge of renovating a 52-year-old vintage apartment. My goal was not simply to create something new, but to craft a space that felt as if it had always been there—effortlessly blending into its surroundings while allowing time to flow naturally within. It needed to be a place where modern sensibilities meet the quiet elegance of wabi-sabi, where every detail contributes to a sense of calm and understated refinement. The constraints of the building, with its aging structure and limited flexibility in layout, posed challenges. But rather than seeing them as obstacles, I embraced them as part of the process—allowing them to guide the design towards something more honest, more intuitive. Instead of stripping the space down to minimalism, I sought to create depth through thoughtful simplicity, using “emptiness” as a design element rather than merely an absence of form. The walls and ceiling were finished in plaster, giving them a subtle texture that shifts with the changing light of day. In the morning, soft sunlight gently diffuses across the surface, while in the evening, shadows settle with quiet grace. For the built-in furniture and doors, I chose solid wood, a material that deepens in character over time, inviting touch and interaction. The door handles, made of clear acrylic, add an unexpected touch—neutral and unobtrusive, yet subtly catching the light in a way that makes them almost disappear. One of the defining elements of this space is the curtain that wraps around the living and dining areas. More than just a partition, it plays with light and movement, filtering the outside world into the home with a quiet, diffused glow. Every aspect—from the choice of fabric to the way it moves with the air—was carefully considered. The result is a curtain that floats weightlessly, dancing with the breeze, creating a sense of poetry in motion. Like Kyoto itself, this home is a place where time is allowed to unfold naturally. It does not demand attention, nor does it impose itself. Instead, it welcomes stillness, inviting its inhabitants to live at their own rhythm. It is not about newness for the sake of newness, but about finding a balance between what was, what is, and what will be. It is a space designed not just to be seen, but to be lived in—a place where time, light, and air quietly shape the experience of home.