Nim Storehouse Renovation in Hida-Takayama by aoyagidesign

Reviving a 130-Year-Old Meiji-Era Storehouse

In the historic townscape of Hida-Takayama, Japan, aoyagidesign has transformed a 130-year-old Meiji-era storehouse into a French restaurant, “NIM,” and a private residence for the owner-chef and his family. The project respects the cultural heritage of the Important Preservation District for Groups of Historical Buildings, where exterior modifications are restricted, while reimagining the interior as a contemporary space full of contrast, light, and layered meanings.

Respecting Tradition While Introducing Modernity

The storehouse was originally notable for its robust timber framework—a ridgepole of large logs, intersecting beams, and a spacious interior defined by the darkness of traditional Japanese kura (storehouses). Instead of overpowering this character, the architects embraced it, making the structural framework the protagonist of the design.

The challenge was to divide the large interior into two functions—a fine dining restaurant and a family residence—without diminishing the integrity of the storehouse. The design solution centered on a single “inserted wall” that both separates and connects spaces while reinforcing the building’s seismic performance.

Spatial Strategy: Division Through Connection

On the second floor, the architects divided the plan into north and south zones, maximizing natural light and ventilation for the living quarters despite limited window openings. The restaurant and residence connect in an L-shaped layout, ensuring privacy while allowing subtle communication between the family spaces.

The inserted wall is not a conventional partition. By suspending parts of it through the atrium, alongside a floating staircase made of thin iron plates, the architects introduced a sense of lightness and ambiguity. This gesture respects the solemn atmosphere of the kura while suggesting a ghost-like presence—something that both belongs and transcends the past.

Materiality and Atmosphere

To heighten contrast, the wall was finished with dully reflective metal plates, creating a “mirror” effect. This surface multiplies perceptions of depth, captures fragments of light, and symbolically reflects the chef’s creative philosophy—crafting unseen culinary experiences while rooted in tradition and local ingredients.

By offsetting the wall from the original framework, the architects enhanced earthquake resistance while maintaining structural flexibility. This dual quality of strength and resilience mirrors the kura’s historical endurance, now adapted for modern life and gastronomy.

Structural Reinforcement with Cultural Sensitivity

Traditional kura storehouses were known for thick mud walls with high shear strength, but this particular building had weakened over time due to removed walls and seismic vulnerabilities. Structural engineer Takuya Asamitsu reinforced the interior by inserting low-rigidity, high-toughness steel-reinforced walls strategically offset from the framework. These act like dampers, absorbing seismic energy without disturbing the storehouse’s established equilibrium.

A Dialogue Between Past and Present

The Nim Storehouse Renovation is more than adaptive reuse; it is an architectural dialogue across centuries. The inserted wall serves as both divider and connector, as both structural necessity and symbolic mirror. It preserves the Meiji-era spirit while introducing a stage for contemporary living and dining, where heritage and innovation coexist.

This project exemplifies how Japanese architecture balances preservation with transformation, ensuring that historic structures continue to breathe new life while serving modern needs.