Minimal Space and Blank Space

“Zushiya” was established in 2002 by Artemeister, a Buddhist altar manufacturer based in Aizu-Wakamatsu, with origins dating back to 1900. As time has passed, lifestyles and values have changed significantly, and the practice of praying to one’s ancestors has gradually faded. In this context, Zushiya proposes a contemporary “form of prayer” that harmonizes with modern life. The zushi originated as a container for storing food and utensils, and later came to house Buddhist statues, playing an important role in daily life. This project treats the zushi as a spiritual anchor and seeks to spatially express a form of prayer. We refer to the raw state of space as “Sokukan” (Minimal Space). Rather than an unfinished skeleton, it is defined as a condition that fulfills necessary requirements without surface materials, like a white architectural model. Its strength lies in its lack of attributes, allowing meaning to emerge when something is inserted. In this project, a simplified Minimal Space was created to allow the carefully crafted zushi to stand out. The site is located on the ground floor facing Namiki-dori in Ginza, requiring a passage to draw visitors inward. The alley-like space is designed as a Blank Space framed by a gate-shaped volume, with a tokonoma at its end to create a symbolic focal point. It functions as a threshold from urban noise to interior stillness, evoking the experience of a temple approach. Beyond, the space opens up to reveal display elements, a tokonoma, seating beneath a lowered ceiling, and soft light through shoji screens. In designing the space, we are always conscious of “kehai” (presence). This invisible quality expresses relationships within space. As a uniquely Japanese spatial sensibility, we considered “kehai” so that the space remains continuous as part of Ginza, while also becoming a place slightly removed from everyday life.