Tsukumo Kiln 2026: Triangular Ceramic Studio in Kobe
Discover Tsukumo Kiln, an 80.32-sqm ceramic studio in Kobe, Japan, designed by Dept. + OAAA featuring a triangular timber structure and translucent envelope.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Tsukumo Kiln is nestled on a rural hillside in Kobe, Japan, designed by architecture studios Dept. and OAAA.
- The 80.32-square-meter building features three timber portal frames rotated at 60-degree angles to form an equilateral triangle.
- Steel tension rods lift and support the timber beams, eliminating interior columns for an unobstructed ceramic workspace.
- Folded translucent FRP panels wrap the roof and walls into a continuous, seamless envelope that shifts with changing daylight.
Situated on a hillside within the rural landscape of Kobe, Japan, Tsukumo Kiln is a ceramic studio surrounded by open fields and mountains, designed through a collaboration between studios Dept. and OAAA. Conceived as a dedicated workspace for ceramic production, the 80.32-square-meter building responds to its natural setting through a triangular plan, an unobstructed central workspace, and a continuous translucent envelope.
The architectural structure is organized around three timber portal frames, with each frame rotated 60 degrees from the preceding one. This specific geometric arrangement produces an equilateral triangular floor plan and establishes a building layout without a conventional front, back, or dominant directional facade, allowing views toward the surrounding landscape from multiple angles.
To maintain an open interior environment suitable for ceramic production, steel tension rods are integrated into the structural system to pull and lift the timber beams. This engineering approach reduces the need for interior columns, leaving the central working area entirely unobstructed. The exposed connection between the timber frames and steel tension members makes the structural forces visible throughout the interior workspace.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The collaborative design team enclosures the exterior in folded fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) panels whose profiles strictly follow the geometry of the roof. Consequently, the roof and walls function as a single continuous envelope rather than separate architectural elements. These FRP panels were assembled on-site to create a visually seamless exterior skin. Their translucent material quality reacts dynamically to changing daylight, giving the building varying appearances according to the weather, time of day, and viewing direction.
The use of rotated timber portal frames in an equilateral triangle layout highlights a sophisticated contemporary approach to rural architectural design, maximizing open workspaces without traditional concrete columns. Furthermore, the application of translucent FRP panels emphasizes the modern integration of architecture with natural daylighting and environmental changes, a growing trend in contemporary Japanese studio design.
Construction was developed as an integral part of the overall architectural process, considering geometry, structural logic, material behavior, fabrication, and on-site assembly simultaneously. The timber framing, steel tension members, and site-assembled FRP skin retain their distinct material characteristics while operating as a unified architectural system.
Inside the studio, the triangular organization generates multiple relationships with the surrounding rural landscape, while the column-free workspace provides flexibility in arranging kilns, worktables, storage areas, and production zones. The restrained material palette and repeated geometric operations simultaneously generate the building structure, enclosure, and spatial organization, with its architectural form emerging directly from the interaction between construction, materials, and ceramic crafting.
Source: designboom
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment