"Mikimoto Ginza 2, Tokyo" by Stephanie Mills, ,

Toyo Ito’s Mikimoto Ginza 2 is a beautifully crafted, jewel like box where the composite steel and concrete façade forms the enclosing supporting structure that enables the inside to be column-free while also providing the flexibility to experiment with irregular, free form fenestration. In the restaurant the diaphanous, sheer curtains mask daylight entering from the irregular shaped windows, which, together with the suspended LED lights give the space an ephemeral and intimate quality. The filtering and layering are quintessentially Japanese. The diners were unaware of me taking a few discreet photos on my iPhone and continued to be engrossed in conversation.