design tavern » Japan

Japan meets Scandinavia – IKEA manga.

Henry — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:33:16 +0000

There’s no denying it.. I’m an IKEA fan boy.. and I was ecstatic to see that a collection of fabrics by designer Åsa Ekström on the theme, ‘Japan meets Scandinavia.’

Ekström has been drawing manga since the age of 13.

I found this awesome post via a tweet from the lovely, ever sharing @marysoul

via: ROOM AND SERVE

Tokyo National Art Center

Henry — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:47:21 +0000

On our recent voyage to Japan, Tokyo proved to be our favourite destination – full of colour, youth culture, fresh design and architecture amongst many other things. One stunning structure which caught our attention, however, was the Tokyo National Art Center.

A stunning construction of glass and concrete, the building appears from afar to be more akin to a crystal than your typical building. The centre was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and located in Roppongi, the unofficial modern architecture district of Tokyo.

Inside, the building proves to be every bit more impressive. The expansive windows allow for immense brightness, illuminating the entrance of the building which nothing but vast open space. Structured concrete staircases creep up the perimeter of the entry, leading to other rooms at the rear of the building whilst a tremendous conical structure fills the emptiness.

Contrasting beautifully with the lightness of the glass and the cool concrete are the dark polished floorboards, peppered with circular air vents at sporadic intervals providing much needed air conditioning to hot little visitors.
The interior walls are a mixture of wooden panelling and smooth grey concrete, tremendous high ceilings and curving walls a welcome opposition to the straight, structured staircases, doorways and exhibition room walls.

We didn’t get to visit the exhibitions being held at the Centre, but the building alone was enough to cause our jaws to drop. The sheer size of the entry hall alone is astounding. The view from the top of the Mori Tower Observatory Deck demonstrates the contrastive structure of the building, the mixture of harsh lines and curving walls which result in a modern, fresh, clean and ultimately very cool structure. Though in Tokyo, you’d expect no less.

Japan Trip: How about a stroll through a concrete Garden?

Henry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:51:03 +0000

The first post in what I hope to be a series from my recent trip to Japan.
I hope for this series to be available as a guide to a few places to visit and a few things to do! (though it is very far from a complete list!)

First I would like to share with you my visit to the Kyoto Garden of Fine Arts, by the master of concrete, Tadao Ando.
Personally, Ando’s work has been an amazing influence, such refined works from a man who had previously worked as a truck driver, a boxer and had no formal training.

You will more often than not hear Ando recognised for his use of concrete, a work of fine craftsmanship.

The Garden of Fine Art situated North of Japan’s traditional capital Kyoto and not far from the Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Gardens, is an ‘open air gallery.’ Though perhaps the words ‘garden’ and even ‘gallery’ are open to interpretation?

The garden’s classical works have been recreated on large weatherproof ceramic plates in a modern concrete ‘garden.’
Though the real interest for me was held in the minimalist concrete walkways and walls rather than the works themselves.

The garden, completed in 1990 uses modern materials of concrete and glass yet holds traditional works of art, and also responds to the serenity of a traditional Japanese garden. Two concrete ramps intertwine their way down into the lower parts of the garden, taking the visitor on a journey through large concrete volumes that serve as separating the space, creating voids whilst also serving as a surface for the works themselves.

Another main feature of the garden is the horizontal and vertical walls and pools of water that flow from the top most level down through the garden whilst the constant sound of falling water serves as soft background ambience.

The Main Entrance (and you can just see Monet’s water lillies under the surface.)

Window looking outside the garden

There are many water features that run horizontally, vertically, horizontally again like a maze through the garden, and also add a gentle background noise when walking through.

An intersection of elements that span through the entire building. (and a hint of the works contained.)

And a Detail of the same intersection.

In, looking out, this shot also shows the looping path that winds its way down to the bottom of the open garden.

Another shot of the ramp continuing down, you can see the element that goes through the wall (top right, and center)

A shot of the different levels and voids.

Openings revealing the works on the wall behind them.

Abrupt intersection and viewing point.

And Looking back, a good demonstration of the shear volumes dividing the space.

Another shot of the horizontal water and the path. Also hints of the botanical gardens behind.

Some photos of the recreated works themselves.

Garden of Fine Arts (Kyoto Fruits Toban Meiga no Niwa)
Shimogamo Hangicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0823. Tel. 075-724-2188
Hrs. 9:00-17:00 (enter by 16:30). Closed Dec. 28- Jan 4.
100 yen (50 yen in case of combination ticket with Kyoto Botanical Garden)
The fastest way to get here from Kyoto Station or Hankyu Karasuma is to take the subway to Kitayama Station.

Ancient Monolithic chamber..? No, Japan’s Storm Water Drain

Henry — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:20:47 +0000

Recently I have been so captivated by Japan design.. I think I’m turning Japanese (I really think so.) Much to do with the fact I will be visiting the land of godzilla and vending machines in a few short months.

In my constant internet travels I came across these amazing images of Japan’s Storm drains over at ‘Underground’

The drains resemble something from another century (or something alien a little more alien perhaps)

Toyo Ito is coming to town

Henry — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:45:07 +0000

If there are any other local Melbournites around on the 17th of Feb, than make sure you check out the international speaker series put on by the RAIA -
Gracing our shores will be the highly accredited and heavily awarded, Toyo Ito.

Visit here for more info

For those of you off shore it I thought I’d put together a few images of Ito’s amazing work.. but first a little background.

Toyo Ito 1941- is considered “one of the world’s most innovative and influential architects” (Designboom).

Ito is known for creating extreme conceptual architecture, in which he seeks to melt the physical and virtual worlds. He is a leading exponent of architecture that addresses issues of the contemporary notion of a ‘simulated’ city.
Ito was born in Seoul, South Korea (at the time, Japan had taken over the country). Ito did not graduate from Tokyo University’s, Department of Architecture in 1965. After working for Kiyonori Kikutake Architect and Associate from 1965 to 1969, he started his own studio, ‘Urban Robot’ (urbot) in 1971, in Tokyo. In 1979, the studio changed its name to Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects. Throughout his early career Toyo Ito constructed numbers of private housing projects that revealed the hidden layer of urban life in Japan. His most remarkable early conceptual contributions were made through the projects of this scale. See White U in 1976 and Silver Hut in 1984.

This excerpt from good ol’ wiki

Reflecting the sihouettes of elm trees that line the streets are these apparently random concrete braces, together with the floor spanning glass windows.

Toyo Ito & Associates
Tod’s Omotesando

From the man himself..

“In ancient times, architecture was an act of creating an order in the natural world. All through the times since then, for the formalisation of the order, human beings have been seeking a stable spatial composition, which is independent from nature, with pure geometry. This remains essentially unchanged in modernist architecture of the 20th century. However, today, as the ecological environment and the sustainability has been more emerged as a critical issue in urban cities, architectural space has become required to be more open to its surroundings and integrated into the natural environment. The realisation of such space can be made possible by generating a new order based on new geometry, not by the conventional geometry. “Generative Order” means this new order mediated by computer technology. It is never merely an expression for an expression employing three-dimensional curves. This is a basic principle to practice architectural thought that is in step with the times. Since the completion of the “Sendai Mediatheque” project, I have been challenging various attempts in order to build architecture, based on this concept of Generative Order. In my lecture, I would like to share and explore the essence of the spatial order with the audience, showing my works as concrete examples.”
- Toyo Ito

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