Kyoto’s Kiyamachi Dori (street) is a gem of a location. The historic street was built in the early 1600s to run parallel with the new Takase River. Kiyamachi and its nightlife remain a magnet for locals and tourists. However, lax regulations have allowed quick money to flow in, resulting in a major identity crisis that has manifested itself in what architect Florian Busch politely refers to as “nondescript mediocrity.”

Busch, a protégé of famed architect Toyo Ito, was asked to create K8, a narrow and horizontal eight-leveled structure that would reclaim the historic beauty of Kiyamachi Dori. If you imagine the horizontal sequence of sakaya, or bars, that historically occupied much of the street, “K8 is the translation of that experience into the vertical,” says Busch.

For more photos highlighting the wonderful symmetry of the building and a deeper look into the project, take a look at the full article on Spoon & Tamago below.