SHINSAIBASHI SALON

A private salon planned for the customers of Daimaru Shinsaibashi. Designed as an event space for a range of brands—jewelry, apparel, and more—the brief called for a space with flexibility, while also realizing the client’s wish to create a setting unique to this location. To that end, the design incorporates architectural heritage from Daimaru Shinsaibashi as well as locally rooted materials.

Originally designed by William Merrell Vories, Daimaru Shinsaibashi was rebuilt in 2019 while inheriting elements of its original design. For this project, decorative components by Vories that had been dismantled and stored during reconstruction were carefully restored and reused. By repairing aged details and combining several motifs into a new composition, these elements were reintroduced into the space. Placed at focal points such as behind the counter, they act both as icons of the salon and as a visible link to the site’s history.

The site itself is characterized by its depth—approximately 19 meters in length. Since the salon was intended for multipurpose use as an event space, adaptability was essential. A 3.6-meter-wide movable wall was introduced at the center of the plan, allowing the space to function as one continuous hall or to divide into two areas with distinct atmospheres. The movable wall and side walls feature slits at regular intervals, enabling shelves and hangers to be attached or removed as needed, enhancing the system’s flexibility.

Locally related materials were also employed. One is Karin (a type of rosewood in Japan), notable for its vivid reddish tone and traditionally used in Osaka’s karaki joinery crafts. It was applied to doors, counters, and trims, lending the space both refinement and a sense of solidity. For the gray-toned wall finish, marine clay sourced from Osaka Bay—also used in Naniwazu-yaki ceramics—was applied as plaster. Complementary porcelain tiles and curtains in similar hues complete a palette designed to accommodate items from a wide range of brands. By combining inherited motifs with these regional materials, the salon was envisioned as a flexible yet refined contemporary space.