If your car ever happens to have car trouble in the city of Niigata, Japan you should probably get it fixed at Mederu, in what has to be the most pristine and stylish car repair business that exists. The project’s architect (different than the architect of the fancy lawn equipment showroom featured back in April) is Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects.

In order to keep costs down, the size and shape of the project were kept small and boxy. The transparency and interior colors of this small box make it very distinctive. I don’t even see exterior signage because the business doesn’t really need any. The front of the shop is like a big, glassy billboard where folks can wait for their cars and look out across the street; behind them, a blue-floored garage proves this building actually is a mechanic’s shop and not some industrial-looking clothing boutique. Yet, there is something boutique-ish about this repair shop: it’s a modern, sophisticated version of what is usually greasy and mundane.

Alex