Sugamo Shinkin Bank / Ekoda Branch

"rainbow shower"
Sugamo Shinkin Bank is a credit union that strives to provide first-rate hospitality to its customers in accordance with its motto: “we take pleasure in serving happy customers”.
The site is located in a commercial district with many stores. The site's closeness to the town's activities - also the heavy traffic and narrow sidewalk - inspired the architect to express this proximity in the building by merging the exterior and interior. The building is offset approximately 2 meters from the property line, and the timber-decked peripheral space is filled with colorful 9 meter-tall sticks. These 29 exterior sticks, reflected on the transparent glazed facade, mix naturally with the 19 interior sticks placed randomly inside the building. The shower of color creates a joyful environment of light, refreshing the mind and returns colors and some room for playfulness back to the town. Entering the building, the visitors would notice that they are still in an exterior courtyard leading to the bank's interior. Here also, the inside and outside are integrated. Walking around the glazed courtyard inside, there is a cafe-like open space filled with natural light. The bamboos in the courtyard extend skyward in concert with the colorful sticks. The exterior deck space, interior open space, exterior courtyard, and the interior teller counters compose four layers of spaces. The layers are reflected on the glazing, and, combined with complex shadows, they create depth in the space.

emmanuelle moureaux
Architect, Artist, Designer
Born in France. Living in Tokyo since 1996. Established emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design. Using colors as her signature, her works extend to a number of projects, including architectural design for Sugamo Shinkin Bank, space design for ABC Cooking Studio, art installations for UNIQLO and ISSEY MIYAKE, "100 colors" art installation series, and "Forest of Numbers" at The National Art Center, Tokyo. Associate professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design.

2020 ARCHITIZER A+AWARDS Jury Winner (US) Forest of Numbers
2020 CS DESIGN AWARD Nakagawa Chemical Prize (Japan) colorscape
2017 Aesthetica Art Prize Shortlisted & People's Choice Award (UK) I am here
2017 ARCHITIZER A+AWARDS Finalist (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki Branch
2017 International Design Awards Honorable Mention (US) kindergarten creche ropponmatsu
2016 American Architecture Prize Bronze (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki Branch
2016 International Design Awards Honorable Mention (US) Forest of Numbers
2015 International Design Awards Honorable Mention (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki Branch
2015 arcVision Prize – Women and Architecture (Italy) Finalist
2015 PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AWARD Grand Prize (Japan) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Ekoda Branch
2015 PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AWARD Category Award (Japan) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Nakaaoki Branch
2014 DEDALO MINOSSE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE Under 40 (Italy) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Branches
2014 International Design Awards Silver (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Ekoda Branch
2014 International Design Awards Honorable Mention (US) mille-feuille
2014 KAWAII DESIGN AWARD 1st Prize (Japan) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Branches
2013 ICONIC AWARDS Architecture Best of Best (Germany) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Branches
2013 ARCHITIZER A+AWARDS Popular Choice Winner (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch
2012 International Architecture Awards (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch
2012 International Design Awards Gold (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch
2011 MAINICHI Design Award Finalist (Japan)
2011 Design for Asia Silver Award (Hong-Kong) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch
2011 Design for Asia Silver Award (Hong-Kong) eda
2011 Perspective Awards Architecture (Hong-Kong) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch
2011 SBID International Design Awards Finalist (UK) Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch
2011 AZ Awards Finalist (Canada) eda
2011 International Architecture Awards (US) Sugamo Shinkin Bank