「洋々閣・ようようかく/ Vol.2 建築」佐賀県唐津市。

明治時代に創業した老舗旅館。フランスの海洋冒険家ジャック・マイヨールが定宿にしたことで知られる。１２０年以上にわたる歴史のなかで時代のニーズに即した改修を重ねており、最初の全面改修はすでに明治４５年（大正元年）に行われた。現在の旅館の姿は２０世紀末から２１世紀初頭にかけて建築家「柿沼守利かきぬましゅり」（1943年-）が担当したものとなっている。柿沼は、近代数寄屋建築と呼ばれる昭和期の和風建築の代表的な建築家・吉田五十八・村野藤吾・堀口捨己らと並ぶ「白井晟一」に師事した近代数寄屋建築のネオ世代とも位置づけられる建築家だ。柿沼ならではの深い知性をたたえた建築美が洋々閣の館内いたるところに散りばめられている。それらをいくつ見つけられるか？宿泊者が数寄者であれば底知れぬ楽しみに誘われていくに違いないが、館内の天井の丸い埋込照明が３つのユニットでランダムに配置されている点など、数寄者でなくとも楽しむ事ができる純粋で美的な設えには誰もが驚き心打たれるはず。また館内は陰影に満ちた世界でもある。私達の日常から失われた「陰翳礼讃」の世界に身をおくことも大いなる楽しみの一つと言えるだろう。

洋々閣の設えで柿沼守利と並んで忘れてならないのはインテリアデザイナーであり世界的な椅子コレクターである永井敬二(1948年-）だ。彼の功績は世界的にも認められデンマーク王国より「Furniture Prize」を贈られている。洋々閣のラウンジに置かれている籐のソファは永井の作品で、丸い塊のような彫刻的フォルムはモダンでありながらも自然素材・籐を用い暖かく優しい印象だ。宿泊客はこのソファに身を委ねてくつろぎの時間をラウンジで過ごす。無論だがそれは柿沼守利の建築空間と見事に調和している。（また館内各所にアメリカのモダンファニチャーの代表作の一つジョージ・ネルソンのベンチや、李朝の古美術家具が置かれておりこれも永井の見立てに違いない）

ラウンジは基本的に洋室だが柿沼守利ならではの新しい解釈で日本の木造建築の伝統デザインを再構成した豊かな空間だ。入り口の縦格子のガラス引き戸は城の連子窓のようで、その適度な重さの引き具合が「確かなものづくり」を我々に感じさせ信頼感をもたらす。天井は太い梁を何本もわたして二階の床板を直接支え、その床板をそのまま一階の天井とする「力天井」をアレンジしたデザインで、その太い梁を黒く塗ることで本来の無骨さを洗練に転じている。そもそも構造体の梁が露出している力天井に美を見出すことは機能主義そのものでもあり柿沼守利の建築家としての視点を感じさせる。数寄屋の網代張りを用いたテレビキャビネットは大変洗練されており、その設えはさりげなく洒脱だ。

洋々閣には館内三ヶ所に唐津焼のギャラリーがあり宿泊者は自由に鑑賞できます。もちろん気に入った器があれば購入できます。

◼︎名称：洋々閣（ようようかく）

◼︎住所：佐賀県唐津市東唐津２丁目４−４０

◼︎TEL：0955-72-7181

◼︎見学：宿泊者しか見学できません。

◼︎駐車場：有り（宿泊者用）

◼︎アクセス：福岡空港より車で60分。

　　　　　　地下鉄（JR筑肥線直通）80分。

　　　　　　JR唐津駅からタクシーで6分。

“Yoyokaku Vol.2 Architecture” Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture)

Yoyokaku is a long-established ryokan founded in the Meiji period. Known for being the home of French marine adventurer Jacques Mayol.

Over its 120-year history, Yoyokaku has been renovated to meet the needs of the times, and the first full-scale renovation was already completed in 1912 (Taisho 1). Since then, it has undergone renovations while preserving its old charm.

The current Yoyokaku was designed by architect Kakinuma Shuri (1943-) from the end of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century. New buildings have been added to match the older buildings of the previous era.

"Shuri Kakinuma" is a neo-generation architect of modern Sukiya architecture who studied under "Seiichi Shirai" along with Isoya Yoshida and Togo Murano, representative architects of modern Sukiya architecture in the Showa period.

Kakinuma's unique architectural beauty is scattered throughout Yoyokaku. How many of them can you find? If you are a suki sha, you will surely be invited to the bottomless fun.

However, even people with no special knowledge of art can enjoy the installation of three units of round embedded lighting in the ceiling that are randomly arranged. It's a purely aesthetic setting that should surprise and impress anyone.

Alongside Shuri Kakinuma, we must not forget about Yoyokaku's interior designer and world-famous chair collector Keiji Nagai (1948-).

His achievements have been recognized worldwide and he has been awarded the "Furniture Prize" from the Kingdom of Denmark.

The rattan sofa in Yoyokaku's lounge is Nagai's work, and the sculptural form like a round block is modern, but the natural material rattan gives a warm and gentle impression. Guests can relax on this sofa and spend their time in the lounge. Of course, it is in perfect harmony with Kakinuma's architectural space. (In addition, there are benches by George Nelson, one of the representative works of American modern furniture, and antique furniture from the Joseon Dynasty, which must be Nagai's choice.)

The lounge is basically a Western-style room, but it is a space that reconstructs the traditional design of Japanese wooden architecture with a new interpretation unique to Kakinuma.

The glass sliding door at the entrance is like a castle's vertical lattice window, and the moderate weight of the pull, their solidity, gives us a sense of trust.

Look up when you enter the lounge. The design is a wonderful arrangement of “ChikaraTenjo,” in which the floorboards of the second floor are supported by the rough thick beams of the structure, and the back of the floorboards is used as the ceiling of the first floor. By painting the thick beams black, the original ruggedness has been transformed into a modern impression.

The TV cabinet with Ajiro, a woven sheet of very thin wooden board, on the door is a fusion of Sukiya, the architectural style of the tea ceremony, and modern design. The setting is sophisticated.

Above all, the beauty of this lounge is determined by the garden outside the window. "Teioku Ichinyo" Here is a unique Japanese culture that the garden and the house are one.

◎The mark in the second to last photo is "Manji". It is a fretwork of an antique table from the Joseon Dynasty. It's not Nazi Hakenkreuz. It seems that it has been common in East Asia since ancient times.

◎The garden will be explained in "Yoyokaku Vol.2".

※Yoyokaku has three galleries of Karatsu ware, which guests can freely appreciate. Karatsu ware has been famous for tea bowls since the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

◼︎Name: Yoyokaku (Ryokan-inn)

◼︎Address: 2-4-40 Higashi Karatsu, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture

◼︎TEL：0955-72-7181

◼︎Visit: Only hotel guests can visit.

◼︎Parking: Available (for guests)

◼︎Access: 60 minutes by car from Fukuoka Airport.

80 minutes by subway (directly connected to the JR Chikuhi Line).

6 minutes by taxi from JR Karatsu Station.