Kyoto apartment block conversion transcends style
A Kyoto apartment block conversion transforms two historical buildings into a three-unit residential block, courtesy of Bonbonma Architecture

Sudo Kazuya - Photography
In a city as historically rich as Kyoto, architectural treasures are not hard to find, permeating the everyday, all across town. In the case of the newest project by locally based studio Bonbonma Architecture, this heritage meets a more contemporary twist, via the late 20th century, in an unusual mix across styles and periods. This Kyoto apartment block conversion involved the transformation of two properties on the same plot of land – one from the 1920s and a more contemporary one – into a coherent complex of three units.
Named Suzu, the complex features structures separated by seven decades, which resulted in the vastly different looks and construction methods involved. What unites them is a rich, green tsuboniwa style garden – a typical element in traditional Kyoto architecture. Now, Bonbonma Architecture's surgical intervention means a flow is established between the two building and craft, space and light are allowed to take centre stage throughout this layered residential complex.
In the process of determining which areas will stay and which will go (part of the structure had to be demolished and redesigned) in order to re-imagine the existing structures and adapt them to their new use, Bonbonma used a method called ‘tone architecture'. It allows the architects to define spaces by using the different notes that each space vibrates to – eventually creating a whole composition by putting together the sound each room makes.
Bonbonma Architecture, headed by Mexico-born architect Cecilia Ramirez Corzo Robledo, also works with the building's existing ‘biology', aiming to employ natural materials, respect existing eco-systems, and maintain the structures' original palette when it comes to restoration work. Here too, minimising waste and avoiding the use of synthetic materials were key in the concept, as the architect and her team reused materials from the site and complemented those with similar, modern-day equivalents that ensured the original architectural intention remained present and strong - while remaining in sync with the natural context.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
The Lighthouse draws on Bauhaus principles to create a new-era workspace campus
The Lighthouse, a Los Angeles office space by Warkentin Associates, brings together Bauhaus, brutalism and contemporary workspace design trends
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Extreme Cashmere reimagines retail with its new Amsterdam store: ‘You want to take your shoes off and stay’
Wallpaper* takes a tour of Extreme Cashmere’s new Amsterdam store, a space which reflects the label’s famed hospitality and unconventional approach to knitwear
By Jack Moss
-
Titanium watches are strong, light and enduring: here are some of the best
Brands including Bremont, Christopher Ward and Grand Seiko are exploring the possibilities of titanium watches
By Chris Hall
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025
The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights
By Danielle Demetriou
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Ireland is having a moment in Japan
At 2025 Expo Osaka, a new sculpture for the Irish pavilion brings together two nations for a harmonious dialogue between place and time, material and form
By Danielle Demetriou
-
Tour the brutalist Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo's newest urban hub
Ginza Sony Park opens in all its brutalist glory, the tech giant’s new building that is designed to embrace the public, offering exhibitions and freely accessible space
By Jens H Jensen
-
A first look at Expo 2025 Osaka's experimental architecture
Expo 2025 Osaka prepares to throw open its doors in April; we preview the world festival, its developments and highlights
By Danielle Demetriou
-
Ten contemporary homes that are pushing the boundaries of architecture
A new book detailing 59 visually intriguing and technologically impressive contemporary houses shines a light on how architecture is evolving
By Anna Solomon
-
And the RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 goes to... SANAA!
The RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 winner is announced – Japanese studio SANAA scoops the prestigious architecture industry accolade
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Architect Sou Fujimoto explains how the ‘idea of the forest’ is central to everything
Sou Fujimoto has been masterminding the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka for the past five years, as the site’s design producer. To mark the 2025 Wallpaper* Design Awards, the Japanese architect talks to us about 2024, the year ahead, and materiality, nature, diversity and technological advances
By Sou Fujimoto
-
Tadao Ando: the self-taught contemporary architecture master who 'converts feelings into physical form’
Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect who rose to become one of contemporary architecture's biggest stars. Here, we explore the Japanese master's origins, journey and finest works
By Edwin Heathcote