UNAGI ROTIR

A renovation project to convert an 80-year-old Japanese house in Hita, Oita Pref., into an eel restaurant. The site is located right in front of the confluence of the Mikuma River, which flows through Hita, making it a pleasant place where the sound of the river can be heard indoors. The building had been previously restored by a skilled carpenter before the client took possession, of which the client was very fond of. Therefore we decided to reconstruct the entire building with minimal functionality as a store.

Initially, the existing building had been used as a residence, and was hidden behind a white wall and plantings, making it difficult to sense the presence of the building from the road in front when using it as a restaurant. Therefore, we decided to install a new lattice fence as a backdrop for the parking lot, while rearranging the white wall and the plantings. Furthermore, by setting up an entrance with a strong presence of its noren curtain, it was thought that the presence of the store could be felt even from the street. In addition, benches were added to the approach area, providing a place to rest and wait. On the other hand, the interior was renovated by expanding only the existing kitchen space to the required size. Apart from this, most of the existing floor plan was used, with some closet space converted to an accounting space, and lighting and other equipment installed. The furniture for the seating area, including chairs and tables, were originally designed and manufactured. To suit the location, the height of the designed chair / table were kept low and the line of sight was also lowered so that visitors can feel the presence of the flowing river close by.