Yama-Tani is a small residential project in Paris designed by the Japanese architecture studio Kengo Kuma. The project aims to recreate the intimate scale of a village within the urban environment of the French capital city while incorporating nature into the design.
One of the project’s key strategies is its stepped composition, which allows maximum sunlight to reach its core.
All units benefit from outdoor spaces, including balconies, loggias, terraces, and rooftop areas, enhancing the connection between the interior and the exterior.
The exterior corridors allow residents to move fluidly between inside and outside spaces. This lends a sense of connection to the changing seasons and weather. Each apartment has direct access from the exterior, and a backyard garden serves as a central element of the building. This green space is visible from the street, adding depth to the view.
While the use of wood offers acoustic and thermal benefits, it further contributes to a living experience more connected with nature. It creates a serene, welcoming atmosphere. Douglas fir was used for the courtyard facade, which will naturally develop a silver patina over time.
Aging chestnut was chosen for the street-facing facade and it is durable enough to support the detailed, pleated design work.
The main facade is characterized by a pleated wooden design that plays with light and shadow, mimicking the peaks and valleys of a mountain range — hence the name ‘yama-tani,’ which translates from Japanese to mean ‘mountain-valley.’
As the sun moves across the sky, each section of the wood catches the light differently, creating a dynamic visual effect. This design disrupts the linearity of the building, bringing vibrancy to the surrounding streetscape, and suggesting a sense of movement.
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