KOYO BASE Dining Café and Shop by Atelier Write: Adaptive Reuse Meets Ceramic Heritage in Toki, Japan
KOYO BASE in Toki, Japan transforms a warehouse into a spacious café and shop celebrating ceramic craftsmanship and industrial heritage.
Located in the heart of Toki City, Gifu Prefecture — a renowned center for Japan’s ceramic production — KOYO BASE Dining Café and Shop is a unique fusion of history, craftsmanship, and contemporary commercial architecture. Designed by Atelier Write, this adaptive reuse project transforms a former warehouse into a vibrant dining café, retail space, and cultural hub, celebrating the rich ceramic traditions of the region while inviting a modern audience to experience it firsthand.
Context and Location: Toki City, Japan’s Ceramic Capital
Toki City, nestled in southern Gifu Prefecture, is synonymous with exceptional ceramic craftsmanship. The area is famed for Mino ware, a ceramic tradition characterized by its vast diversity of styles rather than uniformity, reflecting centuries of evolving artistic and functional needs. KOYO BASE operates under Koyo Toki, a leading tableware manufacturer dedicated to both automated precision and artisanal techniques, producing high-quality ceramics in small batches to serve professional markets and ceramic enthusiasts alike.
Architectural Vision: Adaptive Reuse and Harmonizing Old with New
Atelier Write reimagined a shipping warehouse adjacent to Koyo Toki’s headquarters factory as the site for KOYO BASE, consciously selecting this building for its independence from the main factory to minimize noise and vibration disturbances. The warehouse offered the ideal structural qualities for adaptive reuse — a large, open interior volume perfect for conversion into an inviting dining and retail environment.
The project carefully balanced the industrial roughness of the original factory with new architectural interventions. The entrance features full-height steel sash windows with delicate flat bar ties, creating a transparent and welcoming façade that contrasts yet complements the ruggedness of the surrounding factory buildings.
Inside, the design emphasizes openness and natural light. The second floor hosts a spacious dining café arranged around an L-shaped counter, fostering close interaction between customers and staff. Large mullioned windows flood the interior with daylight and frame picturesque views of the natural, hilly landscape — a constant reminder of the region’s ceramic heritage rooted in nature.
Spatial Experience: Vertical and Horizontal Openness
One of the architectural highlights of KOYO BASE is its sense of expansiveness. By deliberately avoiding overhead mechanical installations, the ceiling height is maximized, enhancing vertical space. Simultaneously, transparent full-open partitions in the workshop allow uninterrupted horizontal sightlines, connecting dining and production areas visually and conceptually.
This transparency serves to immerse visitors in the ceramic production environment, making the process accessible and engaging. The proximity to the factory floor enables patrons to appreciate the craftsmanship while enjoying a relaxing meal or shopping for ceramic goods.
Materiality and Atmosphere: Celebrating Ceramic Aesthetics
The interior palette draws inspiration directly from unglazed ceramics — neutral, earthy tones that act as a subtle backdrop to highlight a variety of ceramic products and foster a warm, inviting atmosphere. Rather than fully finishing the floors and ceilings, the designers preserved the raw, industrial character of the warehouse, maintaining a tactile sense of place that reflects the ongoing creative process happening next door.
Structural reinforcements, such as tie bars, were sensitively integrated to maintain openness without compromising safety. Innovative displacement ventilation systems ensure comfortable air quality without disrupting the clean architectural lines.
A Modern Ceramic Hub Rooted in Tradition
KOYO BASE Dining Café and Shop is more than just a dining or retail space. It is a thoughtfully crafted environment where Japan’s ceramic heritage meets contemporary design and hospitality. By transforming a utilitarian warehouse into a multi-functional facility that respects its industrial roots while enhancing user experience, Atelier Write has created a landmark that both locals and visitors can enjoy — a place where craftsmanship, architecture, and community converge.
