ULTRA Studio's After Image and Apartment in Uehara Reframe Domestic Perception in Tokyo
ULTRA Studio has finalized two residential developments in Tokyo that explore the impact of living on architectural perception. The first project, After Image (2023), showcases a prominent black cylinder that captures attention initially but gradually recedes as inhabitants acclimate. This structure segments the area and reemerges on the upper level, complemented by a reflective silver cylinder and a mirror set on a blue column. The second project, Apartment in Uehara (2025), addresses the beige-tiled architecture of Tokyo by excavating the site and employing modified materials. Both projects view habitation as an evolving experience, with designs created through adaptable drawings. They are featured in designboom's 'Modes of Habitation' chapter. Photography credits go to Yurika Kono and Kenya Chiba.
Key facts
- ULTRA Studio completed two residential projects in Tokyo: After Image (2023) and Apartment in Uehara (2025).
- After Image is a house for a young couple and their child on an 81.98-square-meter site.
- After Image features a large black cylinder that gradually fades from conscious attention as residents become accustomed to it.
- Apartment in Uehara responds to Tokyo's beige-tiled apartment buildings and retaining walls, making the ordinary strange again.
- Both projects explore how habitation changes architectural perception over time.
- ULTRA Studio describes its approach as creating 'mysteriousness' to evoke questions.
- The projects are part of designboom's 'Modes of Habitation' chapter.
- Photography is by Yurika Kono and Kenya Chiba.
Entities
Artists
- ULTRA Studio
- Yurika Kono
- Kenya Chiba
Institutions
- designboom
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Uehara