Yamaguchi House and Restaurant – Junya Ishigami
A Japanese house and restaurant are contained within this underground building by architect Junya Ishigami. Located in the city of Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the building contains a home and restaurant for Japanese chef Motonori Hirata, an old friend of Ishigami’s.
The structure comprises a maze of cavernous spaces separated by arched openings and stalagmite-like columns, all crafted from concrete. It was constructed by pouring concrete into holes dug in the ground, which acted as a textured mould. The surrounding soil was then removed to reveal its unusual form.
This construction method means that the building is positioned within the ground and concealed at street level, and takes on the curves and imperfections of the excavated site. In Ishigami’s original design, the mud was due to be washed off the concrete after the site was fully excavated. However, after seeing the earth on the structure, he decided to leave it as a surface covering.
