Dezeen Magazine

Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects designs pair of contrasting Tokyo apartments for Airbnb guests

Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects has overhauled a pair of Airbnb apartments in Tokyo, giving one a suspended table and wood-lined walls, and the other dark plasterwork and plush grey carpet.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

The local studio gave the two 61.05-square-metres flats in Tokyo's Shibuya ward contrasting appearances, aiming to appeal to a variety of tourists booking via the holiday rental website Airbnb.

The architects also wanted to create a pair of spaces that visitors using couldn't experience at home, and to offer a retreat from the busy city.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

Each flat includes a kitchen, sleeping areas and a bathroom, but the contrasting finishes create starkly different atmospheres.

"Our goal in this design is to provide such special elements in order to increase the excitement and enjoyment for our guests and to let them experience things they never would in a normal home," said the architects.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

One of the apartments is mainly painted white, but half of the back wall, ceiling and the entire floor are covered in wooden boards.

These line an angled indent made in the wall for a "cave-like" cream sofa topped by strip lighting.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

On the other side of the room, a white dining table extends from a wall and is supported by a pole attached to the ceiling.

"The white table suspended from the ceiling creates a sense of floating mystery in the space, and the benches carved into the walls like a cave provide a sense of calm and relaxation," architect Hiroyuki Ogawa told Dezeen.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

White doors that blend in with the walls on the back end of the space lead to the sleeping areas and bathrooms, which are finished with cream tiles. Glass doors partition off a shower room and white bathtub.

In the other flat, walls, ceilings and doors are covered with dark plaster and illuminated by a large window.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

The floors and the kitchen island feature a matt-grey finish, while metal is used for shelving. Neon lights mounted on the back wall are intended to remind guests of the city.

Below these lights, a wooden table-top extends from a wall and is supported by a a dark steel beam. Cork stools provide seating on one side and a long bench on the other.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

A step leads up to a higher level covered with a soft, plump carpet to create a comfortable resting space.

Curtains wrap two volumes occupying this floor, one of which is encased by glass to offer privacy from the main living areas.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

Holiday rental site Airbnb came in at number 79 on the Dezeen Hot List, a countdown of the most newsworthy players in the design industry.

The company was founded by Rhode Island School of Design graduates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky in 2008, and has since expanded to include listings in 190 countries.

Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects

Designer Ilse Crawford has said that Airbnb is changing attitudes towards design by allowing people to experience stylish interiors firsthand, rather than through magazines or websites.

Other apartments designed for the rental website include a minimal Budapest studio flat by Position Collective and a colourful Barcelona flat by Miel Arquitectos.

Photography is by Kaku Ohtaki.

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Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects
Shibuya Apartment 201,202 by OgawaArchitects