Junmai Sake House

The Junmai Sake House showcases a modern approach to an age-old drinking culture. In this project we aim to give guests not only a drink of sake, but also the entire experience of sake. From its production thousands of years ago, to its consumption on street corners and in upscale bars, sake has been a staple of Japanese culture, and a process worth investigating in an architectural context. This is why we have created a multi faceted sake drinking experience which highlights the entire process of making and consuming sake.

The ground floor of this sake house prioritizes community and shared public space. The sunken courtyard area placed within the cavity created by the building form is home to one of the two casual outdoor sake bars. The other is more exposed to the street, placed next to the entrance of the hibachi restaurant. This gives users the flexibility to stop for a quick drink after work, or sit down and enjoy a more substantial meal. 

The second floor is home to a more elevated sake bar - both physically and literally. This “tasting” bar is farther removed from the bustle of the street, and provides a quieter, more serene venue to enjoy sake, with views out onto one of the rooftop patios. There is also a private room with its own bar that can be reserved for larger parties or special events.

On the third floor are the facilities necessary to run a small scale sake production facility. Its goal is to engage with the public by allowing for views directly into the production space from the outdoor observation deck. By creating an opportunity for experiential learning and direct interaction with the rich story of sake, guests will be able to more holistically appreciate the drink and thus connect with its historical process. Above this, the highest rooftop of the sake house also functions as a patio with views out to the rest of the city, shaded by the proprietary wooden fin system.

There are two distinct wings of the building on the ground and second storeys. The west block houses more operational spaces, such as washrooms, storage, receiving and staff rooms,  while the east portion is home to the public programmatic elements such as the hibachi restaurant, sake bars and public terraces. These two distinct areas come together as the building elevation rises, culminating in the sake production experience, observable by the public from an outdoor patio.

The cultural influence of Japanese architecture and the complex process of creating “pure rice” sake cannot be denied, and moreover should be celebrated. As a response, a parametric wooden shading device covering the outdoor terraces emulates the curved forms of traditional Japanese architecture, while using a warm, natural Japanese cypress wood. Glazing was used externally and internally, investigating the theme of purity and transparency in junmai sake.

Several iterations of the sake house were tested before arriving at the multidimensional, experience-oriented final version. In earlier designs, we found ourselves stuck in the trap of direct representation of nature and of Japanese architecture. One version had a light well with a tree, in an attempt to connect to nature. Another drew its form too closely from the swooping stepped typology of the Japanese temple. What we landed on in the end is a more sophisticated building, respecting the core values of sake, nature and Japanese architecture, however taking its own approach to the expression of these principles.

Throughout the design process, we did a significant amount of research on the site context, traditional Japanese architecture, and the process of making sake. By identifying the uses and typologies of surrounding buildings in the downtown core, we identified that the sake house customer base would most likely be business people and/or individuals visiting one of the many malls and hotels in the district. 

Key principles about the typical components of traditional Japanese buildings were researched and incorporated into the ideation process. Furthermore, the rice washing, polishing and koji fermentation process was a key part of the design research. Beginning to understand this process is what compelled us to create the opportunity for guests to learn more about it in our sake house.

This project has the potential to expand as an educational resource in the community. Its downtown location also creates the opportunity for its status as a tourist destination. Our hope is that over time it will continue to inform the public about the holistic sake experience, in environments for both those who prefer a causal drink and those looking for a more elevated tasting venue.