In Nose-cho, a small town roughly an hour north of Osaka, Japanese studio Coil Kazuteru Matumura Architects has transformed an old building into a café, local market, art gallery, and gathering place.
Satoduto, the store name, is also a name of seasonal Japanese treats. The name originated from conversations by the owner, who practices Kado (Japanese flower arrangement) and Sado (Japanese tea ceremony). Satoduto are connected words: “sato” (meaning country side in Japanese) and “duto”, from “tsutsumu” (meaning wrap). “Duto” also means souvenir, such as rice balls, which used to be wrapped by leaves for carrying.
Coil Kazuteru Matumura Architects also designed the logo of the place, based on an image of wrapping the name, “Satoduto” in furoshiki (Japanese cloth for carrying items). The logo is connected to the service of the store that offers local productions/experiences.
The kitchen is laid out to be softly separated from the main space for the flexible in allowing for multiple functions, such as galleries, retails, a café, and workshops.
The space has 4 gardens and is surrounded by a field. The renovation plan was designed to enjoy the view during all 4 seasons. In the colder winter seasons, the view can be seen from inside, which is cozy and heated by wood fireplace. During the other seasons, you can enjoy the view from outdoors via an accessible patio. The joinery was designed to be a focal point by using over 100 year old cupboards and storage boxes, which created new value to the space.
The local community was involved in taking part in the designing the space by providing, not only architectural accessories, such as counters, stained-glass, mirrors and frames, but also amenities, such as artworks of ceramic pots and hand paintings.
all images © Yoshiro Masuda, Taryo Etou