Schemata Architects — Fukushimaya Tasting Market — 日本 東京

Supermarkets nowadays are changing. Consumers are growing more aware of qualities of commodities, and want to buy better and smarter; and more supermarkets strive to provide better commodities to meet their needs. They are starting to understand the necessity of design in order to communicate good qualities of their commodities to customers and provide more enjoyable shopping experiences. Based on the concept of “creating a well-balanced relationship between consumers, producers and retailers to achieve co-existence and co-prosperity”, the brand-new Fukushimaya Tasting Market designed by Jo Nagasaka, is supported by local residents as a reliable supermarket known for unique selection of good quality commodities such as organically-grown vegetables, pesticide-free and fertilizer-free vegetables and more.

Profit margins of supermarkets tend to be low in general, as is the case with Fukushimaya; and Nagasaka needed to design within the modest budget. The spatial design is composed of low-cost materials such as ZAM pipes (zinc-aluminum-magnesium alloy galvanized steel pipes) used in greenhouses, prefabricated shopping carts, wood wine boxes and more, arranged carefully to highlight the changing displays of attractive commodities. In addition, an open kitchen partially wraps around the store space so that people can see the staff cooking Fukushimaya’s popular ready-to-eat products, including a la carte delicatessen, rice balls and lunch boxes, while feeling the lively energy of the kitchen; and detailed information of the products are shown following the store’s disclosure policy.