Japanese Apartment Complex Caters to Motorcycle Owners
Motorcycle enthusiasts sometimes have a difficult choice: leave their beloved rides out in the elements, or pay to garage them. But Japanese architects may have come up with the perfect solution — an apartment complex with a compact motorcycle garage in each unit.
The NE Apartments in Tokyo all have double front doors to allow residents to easily drive their bikes inside, and the complex’s curved central courtyard is big enough for most bikes to turn around, which makes a tenant’s arrival and departure that much simpler.
The complex, built in the space of a narrow alley, has three floors with eight apartment units that total just over 3200 square feet — or a tiny 400 square feet per apartment. But in each one, the designers used a circular shape to maximize the surface area, leaving enough room for both a bike and its owner.
It may not seem like much space, but just remember the bike also doubles as a handy coat rack.