Kenji Tanaka
Founding architect
Born in Kyoto, lives in Istanbul. Founded SATORI in two cities in 2012; designer of Ma Pavilion.
Studio
In Istanbul and Kyoto since 2012: two cultures, one philosophy.
Our story
SATORI was founded in two cities at once in 2012, when the Kyoto architect Kenji Tanaka settled in Istanbul. In Zen, satori means sudden understanding: seeing the essence of something in an instant.
Working, we learned how alike the two cultures are: the engawa and the sofa, the tatami room and the multi-purpose room of the Anatolian house, the tea garden and the courtyard.
Today a team of fourteen in two offices designs homes, public buildings, offices, spas and gardens in Japan and Turkey.
Four principles
- 間Ma — the void
Emptiness is not a lack but a breath. We design a room by its distances, not its furniture.
- 侘寂Wabi-sabi — beauty of imperfection
Worn timber, cracked plaster, ageing stone. We do not hide the marks of time.
- 簡素Kanso — simplicity
We remove everything that is not needed; what remains is the space itself.
- 自然Shizen — naturalness
An effortless, natural-looking order: light, water and garden are part of the house.
Team
Yuki Sato
Design director
Leads the Tokyo office; project architect of Zen House and Kanso Gallery.
Ayşe Demir
Senior architect
Restoration and residential projects in the Istanbul office; on the Wabi Residence and Mono House teams.
Hiroshi Yamamoto
Landscape architect
Third generation of a family of Japanese garden makers; the gardens of En Garden and Suki Spa are his.
Let’s talk about emptiness first.
Tell us about your site, home or garden; meet us in Istanbul or online with our Kyoto team. The first meeting is free.
Arrange a meeting