Dezeen Magazine

Matted electric cables cover the surfaces of a Tokyo bar by Kengo Kuma

Tufts of brightly coloured electrical cabling give the walls and furniture of this bar by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma a hairy appearance (+ slideshow).

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

The tangle of rainbow-hued wires drapes down the walls, over table-tops and chair backs, and around light-fittings in Tetchan – a  bar that serves grilled meat skewers known as Yakitori.

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

Kengo Kuma & Associates renovated both the ground and first floors of the small eatery and bar located in Kichijoji, a suburb of Tokyo.

To contrast with the multi-coloured and jumbled aesthetic of the upper level, the architects added white and transparent details made from molten plastic to the street-level bar.

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

"It is mostly made of recycled materials," said the studio.

"We applied recycled LAN cables, which we call Mojamoja, to describe its shaggy, woolly look, and what is called acrylic ball – left-over melted acrylic byproduct pieces – to everything from interior materials to furniture."

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

"As a result, some amazing interiors emerged, where form becomes invisible, and only materiality and various colours appear as if floating in the air," added the team.

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

Slabs of melted acrylic were used to form the furniture downstairs, including a bar at the centre of the space. This was formed from stacked disks of the melted and solidified plastic, made translucent by its bubbly texture.

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

Metal-framed bar stools positioned around the edge of the serving counter have square seats made from the same molten acrylic material, while a graphic mural by Japanese artist Teruhiko Yumura covers one of the walls.

Tetchan bar by Kungo Kuma

Photography is by Erieta Attali.

Tetchan bar by Kengo Kuma
Ground floor plan – click for larger image
Tetchan bar by Kengo Kuma
First floor plan – click for larger image
Tetchan bar by Kengo Kuma
Section one – click for larger image
Tetchan bar by Kengo Kuma
Section two – click for larger image