Stairways have been pushed to the exterior of this multi-storey Tokyo coworking space, 12 Kanda, to maximise space and flow, creating an exoskeletal effect.

The coworking space is located across the Kanda River and is directly directly connected to Shinjuku-Sanchome Station. Japanese architect Chikara Ohno of Tokyo firm Sinato designed the unusual-looking building on a site of just 352.01 sq m, stacking geometric volumes on top of one another.

A metal staircase zig-zags and spirals up the facade of the building, adding a playful element and access to exterior breakout spaces and balconies on the skinny, 11-storey building.

Says Sinato: ‘By exposing the evacuation stairs, which are often hidden, to the entire surface of the building, we increased the connection with the city and made the behaviour inside the building visible to the city.’

The location is the fourth in a series of coworking spaces in Tokyo catering to small business owners and freelancers in the space-starved city, where home offices are hard to come by. 12 Kanda gets its name from the number of amenities and services that occupants can access, including a commercial kitchen and in-house restaurant with daily specials, in-house app system, wifi, security, a staffed reception, designated offices or/or hot desking and more.

[h/t Spoon & Tomago]

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