Japanese Buildings that are Shaped Like the Things They Sell | Spoon & Tamago
Shunkado “Sweets Bank” Headquarters (Hamamatsu)
Shunkado began as a small, Japanese-style confectionery shop in 1887. They’re known for several signature creations including the iconic Unagipie pastry made from eel extract. To mark the 130th anniversary of the company’s founding, Shunkado redesigned their headquarters to resemble oversized tables and chairs. No, they don’t sell furniture but they like to think that their snacks bring families together around the dining table, hence the unique design. The interiors are also decorated with outsized objects that are all associated with tea time and snacking, making visitors feel like Lilliputians.
in my experience its the opposite. architecture students tend to gravitate towards artists who are genuinely very artistic but even their actual work remains reined in by clientelle who mostly just point to the interesting work as ideological backing behind the $ value they are putting behind the commissioned work they are doing. the one exception is when the 1% of architects who get to put into practice their artistic desires get public funding for something like public housing where i see a truly liberating desire in their art.