Ninkipen! wedges galvanised metal office for a construction firm between Tokyo blocks
This galvanised metal office block by Japanese studio Ninkipen! is slotted into a narrow gap between two Tokyo buildings, and has an interior with an intentionally unfinished appearance (+ slideshow).
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_16.jpg)
Architect Yasuo Imazu, who works under the name Ninkipen!, designed the 211-square-metre offices for the interior construction company &S Tokyo, which is based in Shinagawa Ward.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_2.jpg)
&S Tokyo has worked on a number of shop fit-outs for the Australian skincare brand Aesop, including one designed by Torafu Architects that is filled with metal pipes and lighting previously used on squid fishing boats.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_3.jpg)
The interior of its Ninkipen!-designed offices has an unfinished appearance that is popular among Japanese architects.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_13.jpg)
"When I considered that they undertake precision construction, I believed that the bared structure without a finishing coat is most appropriate design for them," said Imazu.
Metallic shutters draw up from the building's frontage to provide access to a parking space in the base of the building, while a separate entrance for pedestrians opens into a narrow stairwell.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_6.jpg)
This metallic staircase leads to the first-floor offices, where a suspended black staircase provides access to a smaller second floor.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_5.jpg)
Braced galvanised beams are left exposed across the walls and ceiling of the offices, which are furnished with wooden desks and storages.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_4.jpg)
The back wall of the first floor is covered in earth-toned plaster, and is intended to both off-set the extensive metalwork and act as a further reference to the company's trade.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_10.jpg)
"The ceiling lights throw light over it. It is a symbol of respect for expert's technique and makes a warm atmosphere in opposition to galvanised pillars," said the architects.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_17.jpg)
"The office is going to be the place to create precious interiors used by many people."
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_936_0.jpg)
Among Ninkipen!'s previous projects are an atelier for a Kyoto clothing brand that features a patchwork of raw materials, a residence that is raised on pilotis above its uneven plot in Nara and a cafe in Osaka that is arranged around a small Jabuticaba tree.
Photography is by Hiroki Kawata.
![&S Tokyo by Ninkipen](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/04/s-tokyo-by-ninkipen-office-japan-hiroki-kawata_dezeen_01.gif)
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