Yokai SOHO: post-machiya loft in Kyoto
Yokai SOHO is a 5 floors building located in Kyoto, on the outskirt of Kitano tenmangu shrine, on the First avenue (Ichijo), in a traditional commercial area of retail shops (shotengai) leading to the famous Yokai street (ancient monsters).
The 2 lower floors are rented to a co-working space, and the 3 upper floors are 3 short-term rental lofts.
In this area, which was the Northwestern entrance to Kyoto city in the Heian period (8th century), the people of Kyoto used to abandon their old belongings. These objects, moved by the spirit of their creator, eventually transformed into funny creatures (yokai), and then entered back into the city, thus giving birth to a whole fantastic folklore and to numerous literary and artistic descriptions. Following this ancient history, the merchants of Ichijo street (Kyoto’s first avenue) decided to decorate their frontage with sculptures related to these creatures, and to create a Yokai street.
Yokai SOHO was born from this concept of transformation and recycling. Designed by two architects and scholars specializing in Japanese architecture, this space is a reinterpretation of traditional machiya (townhouse) architecture combined with a contemporary loft atmosphere. The building over its lifespan has played host to a series of different functions including a supermarket, a bread factory and offices. Yokai SOHO has comfortable 70 and 100 m2 loft spaces, fully equipped with working spaces, crafted tatami rooms, suspended 30 m2 terrace gardens, on the top floors of a 5 floor modern building equipped with an elevator. Yokai SOHO is also part of a building that accommodates an event space, and an incubator of Small Offices/Home Offices (SOHO).
Basics:
Number of Bedrooms
5 |
Number of Bathrooms
3 |
Number of Offices
2 |
Surface Size
270 Sq. Meters |
|
Property Type
Apartment or Condo |