House of Georg de Lalande (1910)
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 800 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/9.0
House of Georg de Lalande (1910)
Location: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Koganei, Tokyo
Timestamp: 13:50 on October 25, 2023
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 800 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/9.0
Constructed in 1910, the residence of Georg de Lalande was built in Shinanomachi, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Lalande, a skilled German architect, expanded the original building into an impressive 3-story house. His architectural expertise extended to Japan's key port cities such as Yokohama, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and even Korea. Lalande was renowned for his adept use of Jugendstil architecture, a distinctive style within the Art Nouveau movement that flourished during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Over the years, the house changed hands several times and eventually became the possession of Mishima Kaiun (三島 海雲) in 1956. Kaiun was the brilliant mind behind the widely beloved lactic acid beverage "Calpis," a drink that continues to enjoy popularity to this day. Following Kaiun's passing, his company, Mishima Foods Industry Co., Ltd. (三島食品工業株式会社), utilized the house as office space until 1999.
In 2013, the house underwent meticulous disassembly and subsequent reassembly at the museum. Notable features of its exterior include a mansard roof crafted from slate and clapboard-adorned exterior walls. The interior refurbishment drew inspiration from vintage photographs, aiming to recreate the ambiance of the early Taisho Era (1912 to 1926) when de Lalande resided there. Stepping inside, the various interior elements transported me to the sophisticated charm of a classical hotel in Europe or New York City.
On April 20, 2013, the "Cafe Musashino Sabo," a coffee and tea shop, opened on the first floor, making excellent use of the Art Nouveau interior. I was able to relish the experience of sipping coffee in what felt like the elegant tea room of a luxurious hotel in historic Europe.
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