volume 2 of the 8 part rikuyosha creative now series, featuring the work of setsuo kitaoka (b.1946) between the years of 1980 — 1988. kitaoka was responsible for many of the y's, y's for men, and yohji yamamoto interiors throughout the '80s alongside his contemporary shigeru uchida. a rare insight into retail design during japan's years of opulence and prosperity leading into its historic economic bubble.
notes
photo ∙ t. nácasa & partners translator ∙ hisako miyazaki, legal & technical translations co., ltd. editing and production ∙ keiko kubota, naoko aono book design ∙ katsuhiro kinoshita, design club inc. phototypesetting ∙ obuchi art typsetting ltd. printing ∙ nissha printing co., ltd. bookbinding ∙ oguchi binding printing co., ltd.
published by shuhei hashimoto, rikuyosha publishing inc. softcover ∙ 22.5 x 30 cm ∙ 10 pp Project Data
Y's ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙P.12 1980 Boutique Tokyo Contractor: Build Co., Ltd. Floor Area: 57m² ✽ Threshold space by glass — Glass panels are placed upright inside the unfinished concrete wall structure. Hanger pipes and display shelves are fixed against the panel. The glass, a most transparent material for best visibility is a "membrane" which consolidates the architecture and interior design.
Y's for men ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙P.16 1980 Boutique Tokyo Contractor: Kiyo Design Factory Floor Area: 31m² ✽ Temporary consideration — The boutique is composed only of the space for the fitting room, cash register and stock located behind the silver accordion curtain, and the display shelves and the pipe hangers. The space folds and unfolds as easily as a pup tent.
Y's ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙P.20 1982 Boutique Yokohama Contractor: Ask Space Consultants Co., Ltd. Floor Area: 41m² ✽ Light accentuated disjoint and twist — The space is disjunct; neither walls nor ceiling are at right angles. The disjointed space is used for the fitting and stock rooms. Indirect lighting escapes through the chinks, which emphasizes the disunity.
