Taro SHIMOKAWA
Japan
Taro Shimokawa creates architecture that is both “ordinary and special,” blending Japanese tradition with contemporary design. His work balances universality and individuality, offering spaces where people find small joys in daily life. Drawing on experience in France, he fuses traditional Japanese techniques with Western design, using natural materials like domestic timber and plaster. His buildings age beautifully over time. Actively involved in education, he nurtures future architects. As a father of two who took childcare leave, he applies this perspective to childcare facilities and housing. Fluent in French, he also engages in international projects. Access Taro SHIMOKAWA Newsroom
Featured Designs
Taro SHIMOKAWA
Sauna
Trees grow endlessly upward, a concept reflected in the vertical exterior walls clustered around the sauna room. A spiraling path leads upward to a rooftop relaxation space, mirroring the building's form. The sauna entrance is at GL+250, the cold plunge deck at GL+1000, and the rooftop at GL+3250, so the transition from sauna to cold plunge to open air follows a vertical flow. Viewing the forest at treetop height allows one to share in its growth rhythm.
A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award - Bronze (2025) - Access Taro SHIMOKAWA Sauna Press Kit