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Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp by Tetsuya Matsumoto

Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp by Tetsuya Matsumoto is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award yn Brûns in Ynterieurromte en Útstallingûntwerp Competition Category.


BrûnsYnterieur· 2025

Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp

by Tetsuya Matsumoto

Client: Seigakusha Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner in Ynterieur Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp

Pure Semicircles is in ynterieur fan in bysketterskoalle yn Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan. It ûntwerp biedt in suvere romte mei minimale linen en foarmen, sadat learlingen har op harren fakken rjochtsje kinne. De yngong liedt nei in healrûne ûntfangstromte, dêr't in spegel op de midsline de foarm wjerspegelet en in folsleine sirkel foltôget. It plafond is makke fan weagjend roestfrij stielen platen en wurdt ferljochte troch lineêre ljochtboarnen. Grienens en houten sinneblinen jouwe waarmte oan de wite minimalistyske romte. Twa stúdzjeromten hawwe elk in sintrale tafel en balken lâns de finsters.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award yn Brûns

Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Pure Semicircles Skoalynterieurûntwerp foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
Pure Semicircles is a cram school located in Osaka. The school offers a pure space with minimal lines and shapes where the students can focus on their subjects. Greenery maintains a strong presence to provide a relaxing atmosphere and wood blinds help create warmth in a rather minimalist white space. The main design point is the semicircular entrance with ripples stainless steel ceiling reflecting the space and a mirrored wall in the median that completes the circle.
Dimensions & Packaging
Gross Built Area: 149.69sqm
W20330mm x D13230mm x H2470mm
Tags
Japan, school, education, students, ripple, Osaka, minimalist, reflection, students, office
Production Technology
The space was created using drywall techniques and mostly finished in wall cloth.
The ceiling is made with rippled stainless steel sheets. The semicircle reception space has a mirror in the median line that reflects it and completes the circular form. The lighting is secured through linear light sources in the middle of the stainless steel and around it as well. The study room is equipped with downlights.
Design Challenge
The creative challenge was mostly how to make a school fashionable in the eyes of teenage students, fulfil its functional duty, all of this in a relatively narrow space and a relatively limited budget. How to keep a space pure while still making it cozy. How to make it rich in materiality while keeping it minimalist and not distracting. The answer was by using unique materials such as the rippled stainless steel for the ceiling, mirrored walls, greenery, and wood blinds.
Research
Pure Semicircles design has two axes of research. The first one is aimed at guaranteeing an atmosphere where students can focus on learning while still enjoying the space and relaxing. The second one is aimed at visually creating a space that is attractive in a relatively narrow room that is surrounded by windows that overlook the bustling city outside. The quest was to find a middle between the two.
Inspiration
This design is inspired by the function of the space. Schools need to have spaces that provide an atmosphere where students can concentrate on their studies. But they also need to be cozy and offer relaxed and playful places. More than just study desks, schools need to become attractive and interesting to their main users, teenagers who are already building their lives into our contemporary society.
Project Duration
Project start: September 2024.
Construction starts: December 2024.
Project/Construction End: January 2025.

Location:
Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan.
Operation Flow
The entrance gives straight to a semicircular reception space doubled by a mirrored wall. The reception leads then to the consultation booth where parents, students and staff can talk. The other side is occupied by offices. In the middle the space opens to the study space with a central table and a counter on the window side. Another arched opening leads to the second study room which is a counter along the windows.
Team Members
Tetsuya Matsumoto
Image Credits
Image #1: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #2: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #3: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #4: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #5: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.

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