Tree-Inspired Japanese Cafe is Made of Cedar with Intricate Pattern Design

The design team created a aesthetic that looks similar to the game Jenga. It is an innovative structure, with stacked square cedar boards that form a huge tree-like building. The open walls and design of the project allows guests to easily view the pacific ocean and the surrounding landscape.

Each square cedar board is about 8 centimeters in size and were stacked in what appears to be a randomly. The boards were then reinforced with a carbon fiber rod, with a tensile strength said to be seven times that of iron. The design imitates the elegant formation and sturdy structure of a tree: where a a single trunk with large branches provides stability in the event of an earthquake.

Kengo Kuma appropriately named the project Coeda House, which means the “house of small branches.” The cafe is situated on a cliff overlooking the pacific ocean which allows it to become an observatory to experience nature.

“Due to the tree-like form, we were able to eliminate columns at the perimeter which would otherwise obscure the landscape,” explains Kengo Kuma & Associates. Sprawling across 1,500 square feet, the open pavilion and cafe becomes carefully integrated within the Shizuoka landscape.