Project Name: BIRKENSTOCK KYOTO

Location: Kawaramachi, Kyoto, Japan

Design Team: TORAFU ARCHITECTS

Total Floor Area: 98.18 m²

Completion: March 2025

Photography: DAICI ANO

Feature:

Project - BIRKENSTOCK KYOTO is a thoughtfully designed pop-up store for German footwear brand BIRKENSTOCK in Kyoto, Japan, creating a space that masterfully balances historical context with contemporary retail experience.

Located on the bustling Shijo Street in Kyoto's Kawaramachi district, the temporary one-year installation occupies a traditional machiya townhouse with the characteristic "unagi no nedoko" (eel's bed) layout—narrow at just 3.8 meters wide but extending 24 meters deep. This challenging footprint has been transformed into a spatial journey that honors both BIRKENSTOCK's 251-year heritage and Kyoto's cultural significance.

The entrance announces itself boldly on the busy street with a gateway-like façade featuring the brand's signature blue on both signage panels and LED neon tubing. This contemporary interpretation of a traditional Japanese "mon" (gate) creates a striking visual presence while respecting the surrounding historical streetscape.

Upon entering, visitors experience an airy double-height ceiling that enhances the spatial quality of the slender site. Torafu's design brilliantly embraces the tension between old and new, with exposed structural elements contrasting against carefully placed greenery and modern neon signage.

Perhaps most ingenious is the architects' treatment of the floor, where original adhesive marks from removed flooring were preserved and reimagined as a karesansui (dry landscape garden) pattern. This creative repurposing guides the placement of display islands created from minimally processed log sections that double as seating.

The journey culminates in a tranquil "inner garden" space featuring virgin cork walls—a nod to BIRKENSTOCK's footbed material—and a suede-topped counter. Here, solid wood benches with slender blue legs hover above the floor, embodying the brand's commitment to craftsmanship while creating a moment of respite.

Through careful material selection, thoughtful spatial sequencing, and a reverence for both tradition and innovation, Torafu Architects has created a retail environment that feels simultaneously rooted in place and forward-looking—perfectly capturing the essence of contemporary Kyoto culture.

Design Team - Founded in 2004 by Koichi Suzuno and Shinya Kamuro, TORAFU ARCHITECTS has established itself as a multidisciplinary design practice whose work transcends conventional architectural boundaries. Based in Tokyo, the firm applies architectural thinking to a diverse portfolio spanning architecture, interior design, exhibition planning, product design, spatial installations, and multimedia productions.

The studio's co-founders bring complementary educational backgrounds: Suzuno graduated from Tokyo University of Science and completed his master's at Yokohama National University, while Kamuro studied at Meiji University. Their professional experience with renowned practices—Suzuno with Coelacanth K&H and Kerstin Thompson Architects in Melbourne, and Kamuro with Jun Aoki & Associates—informed their distinctive design approach.

TORAFU's award-winning projects include "Template in CLASKA," "NIKE 1LOVE," "Kohoku Residence," and "Air Vase"—the latter added to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' permanent collection in 2015. Their "Loom of Light" installation for Canon at Milano Salone 2011 earned the prestigious ELITA Design Award for Best Exhibition.

The firm has consistently garnered international recognition, including multiple Good Design Awards, iF Design Awards, Asia Design Prize, and the Red Dot "Best of the Best" for their innovative work. Their architectural philosophy emphasizes spatial experimentation, material sensitivity, and contextual adaptation, resulting in environments that blend functionality with unexpected moments of delight.

Their published monographs, including "TORAFU ARCHITECTS 2004-2011: Ideas and Process" and "TORAFU ARCHITECTS: Inside Out" (TOTO Publishing, 2016), document their significant contributions to contemporary Japanese design discourse.