MORITOYO Udon 餐厅丨日本埼玉丨atelier N

Architects:atelier N

Area:130m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Kai Nakamura

Design:Hiroshi Nakamura

City:Koshigaya

Country:Japan

Text description provided by the architects. The site is a residential area near Lake Town, Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture. It is located in a place where rice fields remain as a remnant of the past—a new construction plan for a udon restaurant in such a location. The adjacent land is a rice field, and the construction site was originally a rice field. First, the design began to take advantage of the tranquil environment of the rice fields. The layout and floor plan of the building was designed to match the rectangular shape of the adjacent rice field, making the building elongated with a short side of 4,550 mm and a long side of 27 m.

As you can see from the view of the building across the rice fields, you can enjoy the full view of the rice fields while eating udon from inside the building. The wind blowing from south to north passes through the building and out to the rice fields on the north side. The rice swaying in the wind also represents the pleasant wind that blows in this area. Regarding the construction of the building, we tried to avoid making any changes as much as possible so that it would be a primitive building that could be completed once the structure was assembled. The floor is finished by applying a surface hardening agent to the 400mm thick basic concrete and then carving out the surface.

The foundation, pillars, and beams were exposed, and glass was attached to the structure to create a boundary between the interior and exterior. No other work was done. Before assembly, the structure was brought in and painted with an oil stain to repel rain. I believe that such a primitive structure has blended into the landscape of the neighboring rice fields and has become a part of the place without disrupting the original tranquil environment and scenery. Approximately 300 cedar pillars with a cross-section of 90 mm square and 3 m long are hung around the outer perimeter of the building to serve as louvers, but these hanging pillars are actually designed to resemble giant noren curtains.

A noren curtain made of hanging pillars invites customers in. Once inside the building, there is an open space that is different from the impression from the outside. There are rice fields in front of you, and you can enjoy the special udon and tempura made by the owner. I think we have created a udon restaurant where you can eat, drink beer, and relax. Anyone can easily pass through the wooden curtains from the gravel parking lot, which has been purposely designed to be rough and unintimidating and enter the store, where the bustle of customers echoes on the concrete floor, surrounded by the scent of wood and the frame. There is a rice field in front of the space.

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Project location

Address:Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan