An interior design firm has transformed a traditional wooden house in Kyoto into a striking Japanese-Mexican fusion cafe featuring a bold, all-red interior. UNC Studio converted the historic machiya townhouse in Kyoto's Kamigyo Ward into Challe cafe, which serves specialty coffee, Japanese tacos, and churros. The project has been recognized on the shortlist for the 2025 Dezeen Awards.
The renovation successfully balances the cafe's fusion concept while preserving the character of the traditional architecture. "In renovating an old Japanese wooden house, we did not want to create an orthodox Mexican image," explained studio founder Keiji Kadota. "Instead, we imagined a fusion of modern Mexican and Japanese style." The design approach maintains the building's historical integrity while introducing contemporary elements that reflect the menu's cultural blend.
The long, narrow property features a typical shopfront on the ground floor with full-height wooden doors that can completely open or close the space. Most of the building's existing structural elements, including pillars and beams, were retained during the renovation. To address the low-ceilinged ground floor, designers introduced a void that connects the space with the upper level, creating a greater sense of height and volume.
"The visual continuity created by the atrium encourages interactive communication between the ground floor counter and the first floor seating area," Kadota noted. The design emphasizes sustainability by reusing materials removed during the transformation. Salvaged columns were converted into shelves and benches, some supported by reclaimed cornerstones, demonstrating the project's commitment to preserving historical elements.
The most striking feature is the entire interior's deep red coloring, achieved using paint made with persimmon tannins and pigment derived from iron rust. According to the architects, this rich red hue creates a "Mexican atmosphere" that fuses with the historical Japanese architecture to provide "unique depth" to the space. The color choice serves as the unifying element that ties together the cultural fusion concept.
Custom details enhance the authentic atmosphere throughout the cafe. The ground floor's distinctive tiles were specially crafted by a ceramics studio using a red glaze that complements the interior color scheme. Matching decorative relief work on the wooden doors adds textural depth to these surfaces. Instead of conventional ceiling lights, lighting fixtures made from standard steel sections and lamp elements are mounted on pillars to illuminate the painted ceiling and walls.
The bar counter is wrapped in sustainably sourced leather, a material also used for the first floor's counter-style table surface. Leather was chosen for its ability to develop an attractive patina over time, adding to the cafe's evolving character. Surrounding the communal table, stools were created by combining solid wooden blocks of varying shapes. The timber was treated using the traditional yakisugi method, which strengthens and preserves the material's surface through controlled burning.
The project addresses broader urban planning concerns in Kyoto, where machiya townhouses represent an important part of the city's heritage from the Meiji era when it thrived as a merchant town. Kadota argues that reusing these buildings in ways that appeal to local residents can help combat population decline in areas negatively impacted by tourism. The renovation demonstrates how historical preservation can be balanced with contemporary needs.
"This project is not a mere preservation of a historical building, but a space where tradition and innovation, past and present, Japan and Mexico intersect," Kadota explained. "It presents new possibilities for local architecture in the global age." The Challe cafe joins other successful machiya conversions, including a perfumery store designed by Schemata Architects for Le Labo and various restaurants that combine traditional details with modern interventions, showcasing the versatility of these historic structures in contemporary urban environments.
