Ohtori-kura of Niidahone
This sake brewery building, named Ōtori-gura, is used for sake fermentation. Originally, it consisted of three connected structures known respectively as Daiichi Ōtori-gura (First Ōtori-gura), Daini Ōtori-gura (Second Ōtori-gura), and Daisan Ōtori-gura (Third Ōtori-gura).
The First Ōtori-gura is a wooden structure featuring robust, large-section beams—originally relocated from Kitakata in the 1970s. The Second Ōtori-gura, with its single-pitch roof, was an addition made at the time of relocation. The Third Ōtori-gura was a later extension constructed in steel frame as a warehouse. In the current renovation, the Third Ōtori-gura has been dismantled, while the First and Second buildings have been retrofitted and modified.
Originally three stories high, the First Ōtori-gura has had its top floor removed to meet current building code regulations. The First and Second buildings are now structurally integrated with seismic reinforcement and adapted to new functions. The main brewing area on the first floor houses enamel tanks of 7,500~9,400 liters, with brewing operations carried out from the second floor above.
Niida-Honke, a sake brewery that advocates self-sufficiency, has decided to transition from using enamel tanks to wooden vats (kioke) made from cedar harvested from its own forest. One kioke will be crafted and added each year, gradually replacing the enamel tanks.
Unlike enamel tanks, which could remain in place for decades, kioke require regular removal for maintenance, such as retightening the hoops. Since the existing building was not originally designed to allow tanks to be moved in and out, new infrastructure was needed. A removable platform was introduced to allow forklift handling of the vats, and to adjust for their shorter height compared to enamel tanks. A new entry specifically for kioke was also created.
The annual kioke crafting and replacement have become emotionally resonant events. Architecture must provide an appropriate setting for such rituals. A large eave was therefore added to define the facade of Ōtori-gura. The log-frame structure uses thinned wood from the brewery’s own forests, and the roof tiles were repurposed from another structure on-site, the motoba-gura, which had been undergoing renovation. Only the decorative eaves tiles (yakimono) were sourced from an old storehouse dismantled in Kitakata.
The doorway, slightly projecting from the facade, features a washed finish of river gravel from the Abukuma River, while the door surface is clad with thinly sliced cedar offcuts—scraps from kioke production.
The second floor, previously a temporary structure, has been fully rebuilt. Flooring materials were reclaimed from what used to be the third-floor boards, refinished and reinstalled with persimmon tannin stain. Leftover pieces were reused for cladding on a new gate installed as part of the project.
The First Ōtori-gura is a wooden structure featuring robust, large-section beams—originally relocated from Kitakata in the 1970s. The Second Ōtori-gura, with its single-pitch roof, was an addition made at the time of relocation. The Third Ōtori-gura was a later extension constructed in steel frame as a warehouse. In the current renovation, the Third Ōtori-gura has been dismantled, while the First and Second buildings have been retrofitted and modified.
Originally three stories high, the First Ōtori-gura has had its top floor removed to meet current building code regulations. The First and Second buildings are now structurally integrated with seismic reinforcement and adapted to new functions. The main brewing area on the first floor houses enamel tanks of 7,500~9,400 liters, with brewing operations carried out from the second floor above.
Niida-Honke, a sake brewery that advocates self-sufficiency, has decided to transition from using enamel tanks to wooden vats (kioke) made from cedar harvested from its own forest. One kioke will be crafted and added each year, gradually replacing the enamel tanks.
Unlike enamel tanks, which could remain in place for decades, kioke require regular removal for maintenance, such as retightening the hoops. Since the existing building was not originally designed to allow tanks to be moved in and out, new infrastructure was needed. A removable platform was introduced to allow forklift handling of the vats, and to adjust for their shorter height compared to enamel tanks. A new entry specifically for kioke was also created.
The annual kioke crafting and replacement have become emotionally resonant events. Architecture must provide an appropriate setting for such rituals. A large eave was therefore added to define the facade of Ōtori-gura. The log-frame structure uses thinned wood from the brewery’s own forests, and the roof tiles were repurposed from another structure on-site, the motoba-gura, which had been undergoing renovation. Only the decorative eaves tiles (yakimono) were sourced from an old storehouse dismantled in Kitakata.
The doorway, slightly projecting from the facade, features a washed finish of river gravel from the Abukuma River, while the door surface is clad with thinly sliced cedar offcuts—scraps from kioke production.
The second floor, previously a temporary structure, has been fully rebuilt. Flooring materials were reclaimed from what used to be the third-floor boards, refinished and reinstalled with persimmon tannin stain. Leftover pieces were reused for cladding on a new gate installed as part of the project.
Ohtori-kura of Niidahone
This sake brewery building, named Ōtori-gura, is used for sake fermentation. Originally, it consisted of three connected structures known respectively as Daiichi Ōtori-gura (First Ōtori-gura), Daini Ōtori-gura (Second Ōtori-gura), and Daisan Ōtori-gura (Third Ōtori-gura).
The First Ōtori-gura is a wooden structure featuring robust, large-section beams—originally relocated from Kitakata in the 1970s. The Second Ōtori-gura, with its single-pitch roof, was an addition made at the time of relocation. The Third Ōtori-gura was a later extension constructed in steel frame as a warehouse. In the current renovation, the Third Ōtori-gura has been dismantled, while the First and Second buildings have been retrofitted and modified.
Originally three stories high, the First Ōtori-gura has had its top floor removed to meet current building code regulations. The First and Second buildings are now structurally integrated with seismic reinforcement and adapted to new functions. The main brewing area on the first floor houses enamel tanks of 7,500~9,400 liters, with brewing operations carried out from the second floor above.
Niida-Honke, a sake brewery that advocates self-sufficiency, has decided to transition from using enamel tanks to wooden vats (kioke) made from cedar harvested from its own forest. One kioke will be crafted and added each year, gradually replacing the enamel tanks.
Unlike enamel tanks, which could remain in place for decades, kioke require regular removal for maintenance, such as retightening the hoops. Since the existing building was not originally designed to allow tanks to be moved in and out, new infrastructure was needed. A removable platform was introduced to allow forklift handling of the vats, and to adjust for their shorter height compared to enamel tanks. A new entry specifically for kioke was also created.
The annual kioke crafting and replacement have become emotionally resonant events. Architecture must provide an appropriate setting for such rituals. A large eave was therefore added to define the facade of Ōtori-gura. The log-frame structure uses thinned wood from the brewery’s own forests, and the roof tiles were repurposed from another structure on-site, the motoba-gura, which had been undergoing renovation. Only the decorative eaves tiles (yakimono) were sourced from an old storehouse dismantled in Kitakata.
The doorway, slightly projecting from the facade, features a washed finish of river gravel from the Abukuma River, while the door surface is clad with thinly sliced cedar offcuts—scraps from kioke production.
The second floor, previously a temporary structure, has been fully rebuilt. Flooring materials were reclaimed from what used to be the third-floor boards, refinished and reinstalled with persimmon tannin stain. Leftover pieces were reused for cladding on a new gate installed as part of the project.
The First Ōtori-gura is a wooden structure featuring robust, large-section beams—originally relocated from Kitakata in the 1970s. The Second Ōtori-gura, with its single-pitch roof, was an addition made at the time of relocation. The Third Ōtori-gura was a later extension constructed in steel frame as a warehouse. In the current renovation, the Third Ōtori-gura has been dismantled, while the First and Second buildings have been retrofitted and modified.
Originally three stories high, the First Ōtori-gura has had its top floor removed to meet current building code regulations. The First and Second buildings are now structurally integrated with seismic reinforcement and adapted to new functions. The main brewing area on the first floor houses enamel tanks of 7,500~9,400 liters, with brewing operations carried out from the second floor above.
Niida-Honke, a sake brewery that advocates self-sufficiency, has decided to transition from using enamel tanks to wooden vats (kioke) made from cedar harvested from its own forest. One kioke will be crafted and added each year, gradually replacing the enamel tanks.
Unlike enamel tanks, which could remain in place for decades, kioke require regular removal for maintenance, such as retightening the hoops. Since the existing building was not originally designed to allow tanks to be moved in and out, new infrastructure was needed. A removable platform was introduced to allow forklift handling of the vats, and to adjust for their shorter height compared to enamel tanks. A new entry specifically for kioke was also created.
The annual kioke crafting and replacement have become emotionally resonant events. Architecture must provide an appropriate setting for such rituals. A large eave was therefore added to define the facade of Ōtori-gura. The log-frame structure uses thinned wood from the brewery’s own forests, and the roof tiles were repurposed from another structure on-site, the motoba-gura, which had been undergoing renovation. Only the decorative eaves tiles (yakimono) were sourced from an old storehouse dismantled in Kitakata.
The doorway, slightly projecting from the facade, features a washed finish of river gravel from the Abukuma River, while the door surface is clad with thinly sliced cedar offcuts—scraps from kioke production.
The second floor, previously a temporary structure, has been fully rebuilt. Flooring materials were reclaimed from what used to be the third-floor boards, refinished and reinstalled with persimmon tannin stain. Leftover pieces were reused for cladding on a new gate installed as part of the project.