Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 37 i Design Anthology, Asia Pacific Edition

Even for those who have never visited Japan, it’s a country that has a firm hold on the collective imagination, from the ancient traditions of sumo and geisha to the iconic centuries-old red torii gates and the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji. But it’s not just visions of historic Japan that have been successfully exported. We’ve also been initiated into the subcultures of Harajuku fashion and anime, as well as the country’s rich and varied culinary traditions.Japan is also often a country of contradictions. It’s not uncommon to see a kimono-clad woman using a smartphone, or a charming, perfectly preserved neighbourhood temple next to a striking architect-designed contemporary building. It’s a unique culture that feels immediately foreign to anyone not from there, making it one of the most exciting, intriguing…

01 B&B Italia × Gabriel Tan Gabriel Tan’s latest collection for B&B Italia draws on the increasing pull of interior spaces and particularly bedrooms, which the designer thinks are ‘more than ever becoming a place for reflection, quietude and rituals’. Quiet Lines is the result of Tan’s research into serenity and consists of a writing desk, bench, bedside table and screen. The silhouette of each piece combines curved and straight lines with a striking graphic mark, while the curved upholstered surfaces form a protective layer on which to sit or display objects. Slender frames are composed of thin bronzed nickelpainted steel profiles, and each piece is rich with detail, from straps to seams to hinges. Moreover, each component has been designed to be easily disassembled and separated, so parts can…

MORNING Sosuke Nakabo starts the day with a 25-minute cycle from his family home in northeastern Kyoto to his downtown studio, a simple second-floor space filled with light and an atmosphere of quiet serenity. ‘This is an important place for me,’ says Nakabo, who worked at Jasper Morrison in London and Panasonic in Osaka before setting up his studio in 2010. ‘It’s busy at MUJI, but here it’s very different. I work alone, which I like.’ He highlights his 3D printer, which he operates remotely from home at night; the first thing he does on arriving at the studio is check sample products that were printed overnight. ‘Having a 3D printer is very useful. It’s transformed how we design,’ he says. MID-MORNING For Nakabo, spending time in his studio is…

Innovative design processes and sustainable technology are hallmarks of architectural surface specialist Cosentino’s products. The two new collections in its Silestone® portfolio, Le Chic and Urban Crush, continue this tradition. Silestone® is a hybrid surface made from premium natural minerals and recycled materials, and the new additions are suitable for kitchens, bathrooms and any other indoor applications.Le Chic stands out for its unique veining detail, and Urban Crush brings a cool, contemporary touch to any space. As with all Cosentino collections, both are sustainably manufactured using the brand’s HybriQ+® technology The Le Chic collection is characterised by expressive veins and metallic accents that stand out against neutral backdrops like cream or deep blues and blacks. The surfaces’ detailed veining required an all-new system of design, and the intricate, interlocking veins…

Since its founding in 2018, Jakarta-based Moire Rugs has become a hub of creativity and textile production. CEO Tama Florentina, who studied in New Zealand and came to design through jewellery, established Moire after she spent time searching for a carpet that would embody her unique taste as a homeowner. Moire’s core philosophies stem from a desire to create high-end and high-design products that resonate in a deeply personal way, with excellence in every stitch. Using a distinctive hand-tufting technique, Moire’s artisans have honed their expertise in producing an extensive variety of designs, colours and textural qualities. They also use embossing and carving gradation techniques to bring a unique dimension to the rugs. Made from an array of materials, each Moire carpet tells its own story. Wool, acrylic yarn, viscose…

Located in the neighbouring towns of Tōkamachi and Tsunan in Niigata Prefecture, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale typically runs over a few months every three years. Planning for the first Triennale began in the 1990s to aid regional development in the area, which is roughly the size of metropolitan Tokyo but now has a population of only about 50,000 people. When festival director Fram Kitagawa visited these towns for the first time, he was ‘amazed by the lifestyle and ingenuity of the people here, who live in these mountainous areas with such heavy snowfall’. The inaugural festival was held in 2000, and in 2018, the seventh iteration saw more than half a million visitors. The highlight of every Triennale is the variety of new artworks on display, but many older installations…

Within the urban landscape of an Osaka suburb, Matsubara House’s sloping, elongated roof draws the eye, its steel cladding subtly visible between the rooftops of homes and local businesses. Conceived by Yudai Niimori and James Jamison of Japan-and Australia-based architecture firm Niimori Jamison, the design is informed by its location, a quiet commuter town of low-rises dotted with rows of metal-clad garages. ‘The scale and form of these parking garages, though not strictly residential, is a distillation of a domestic requirement — having somewhere near the house to park the car — within the suburban block,’ says Jamison. ‘So the overlaying of the residential and parking garage typologies seemed a natural point of departure, with the form, roofscape and programmatic layout of the garage informing that of the home.’ Built…

Located in the centre of Shanghai, Aesop’s fourth store in the city is on the ground floor of the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed Jing An Kerry Centre. Designed by Aesop’s in-house team, the store draws references from Chinese culture and, looking to the nearby Jing'an Temple, was imagined as a retreat from the bustling shopping district of Nanjing Road West. For the most part, the store is designed around two key motifs: the circle and the lantern. The circle is one of the most significant symbols in Chinese culture, and represents harmony and the balance of yin and yang. Here, the main room is a circular, chamber-like space — a cocoon within the store where customers can interact with assistants and products. The shape recurs elsewhere in the space — in…

Karimoku Furniture founder Shohei Kato began working with wood in 1940, when he inherited a lumber business and established a woodworking shop in Aichi Prefecture. The company honed its craft through years of producing domestic items such as components for sewing machines and musical instruments and, in the early 1960s, finally began to produce original furniture — the beginnings of the leading Japanese furniture brand we know today. Karimoku Furniture A Brief History The organic curves of a wood grain. A natural warmth to the touch. A human edge to the form. A delicately honed balance between meticulous craft and innovative technology. And a deep respect for the beauty of nature. These qualities underpin the DNA of Karimoku Furniture. Whether it’s a dining table, a stool or an armchair, the…

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Byoung Cho: My Life as an Architect in Seoul by Byoung Cho THAMES & HUDSON In the almost three decades since Byoung Cho founded BCHO Architects Associates, he has built a reputation as one of the key players in the expansion of one of the world’s most densely populated cities. He is also the general director of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2023. In My Life as An Architect in Seoul, the second in a series that began with Kengo Kuma’s My Life as an Architect in Tokyo, Cho discusses the buildings and districts of Seoul that have most influenced him. The book is split by district, each one introduced with a warm personal reflection by Cho before the individual buildings are discussed — ranging from Cho’s projects…

Lightweight, resilient and fast growing, bamboo has higher carbon fixation capabilities than some trees and is increasingly being used as a solution for more sustainable design. And when it comes to bamboo, Taiwan is among the nations leading the charge. The National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) is located in Nantou County, a region in central Taiwan home to prosperous bamboo industries. Over the past 70 years, the organisation has been working on training, development and marketing for bamboo and other crafts. At this year’s Maison&Objet Paris in September, the Taiwan Crafts & Design pavilion highlighted bamboo craft from the East Asian island. Directed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the NTCRI, the exhibition featured nine bamboo works by a handful of local designers. ENSCI – Les Ateliers…

It starts with the invisible: an inhale of warm oak moss mingled with cedarwood and a sweet touch of anise. The scent of natural incense creates a subtle transition on arrival at Vague Kobe, an experimental new creative space by Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio (TYS) in southwestern Japan. The atmospheric shift is a fitting introduction to Vague. Inspired by the organic momentum of a wave (the meaning of its French name), Vague expresses TYS’s design ideas in a cohesive whole, from interiors, crafts and art to food research, furniture and scent. The concept debuted with Vague Arles in southern France in winter 2021. The second location is in Kobe, a port city wedged between mountains and sea. The studio takes over the upper two vast, light-flooded floors and the rooftop of…

‘After studying architecture and ergonomics, I realised that I wanted to make things with my hands,’ says designer Tomohiro Kishida from his small, chaotic studio in Osaka. ‘While working at Panasonic as an engineer, it seemed to me that most brands were mainly fuelled by profit and the design was done by computer. I realised I’d only find peace of mind if I could put my soul into the objects I create.’ And so Kishida entered the fashion world in 2018, establishing his studio in Osaka. ‘Architecture and design imply that you collaborate with others. I felt that in fashion I could complete the entire creative process with my own hands,’ he says. While studying fashion at the Vantan Design Institute in Osaka, he noticed a pattern that would become…

One of the clichés about Tokyo that holds a grain of truth is that it’s a city full of ‘hidden gems’ — quaintly intimate local spots tucked away behind unassuming doors or in back corners, invisible to casual passers-by. This well-earned reputation is not the result of random happenstance, nor is it an outgrowth of Japanese culture. Rather, a web of zoning and small business policies combines with Tokyo’s post-war urban layout to produce a fertile ecosystem for human-scale micro-spaces to take root in — a ‘pocket neighbourhood’. The essential DNA of a Tokyo pocket neighbourhood is straightforward enough: wide outer boulevards lined by modern commercial buildings and condominiums, which surround an older interior residential neighbourhood filled with low-rise rowhouse dwellings, local shops and winding, narrow streets. Crossing from a…

Amuami Gallery Tokyo Japanese design brand Amuami has opened a unique gallery in Tokyo’s Jingumae district. Situated in an old residential building, the space has been refurbished in collaboration with Tokyo-based architectural studio Button Design, with a new entrance and office on the lower floor and the upper floor becoming the bijou exhibition space. Button’s concept draws inspiration from Amuami’s philosophy of remixing, and the gallery’s design blurs the lines between floors, walls and ceilings. Visitors can view and purchase Amuami’s elevated homewares, which are complemented by seasonal flower arrangements, tea and incense. The space also incorporates antiques and other objects, creating dialogue between eras. There are plans to host exhibitions and cultural experiences, and the gallery is currently open by appointment only. amuami.com alvinT Gallery North Jakarta AlvinT, the…

In 2022, Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen unveiled the PH Pale Rose collection, new versions of Poul Henningsen’s iconic PH 2/1 and PH 31/2-3 lamps. Inspired by the Danish designer and architect’s love for this pale rose tint, the new iterations are made with opal glass shades that are sandblasted white underneath, and brushed brass elements. Following the success of the first two Pale Rose pieces, Louis Poulsen has added several new additions to the collection — all classic designs reinterpreted in the new pink hue. During Milan Design Week this year, the collection was launched in a space as imaginative and whimsical as the pieces themselves: The Louis, a virtual ‘Pale Rose Hotel by Louis Poulsen’, that is now online for anyone, anywhere to visit. Inside the virtual world…

Since Japan reopened its borders in late 2022 — following more than two years of closure — a sense of tentative optimism has re-emerged as designers spread their wings at events around the world, from Milan’s Salone del Mobile to 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen. Though the challenges of designing in modern times remain, a raft of Japanese designers is increasingly in the global spotlight, gently nudging open the design industry’s traditional inclination towards insularity through creative expression and high attention to detail in various mediums, from wood to light to sound. Nature, from camping and saunas to organic shapes, is a rising post-pandemic theme, says Keiji Ashizawa, founder of Tokyo architecture and design studio Keiji Ashizawa Design. ‘An awareness of outdoor activities, which became especially popular during the pandemic, is continuing,’…

Takahiro Yagi grew up surrounded by the sound of tin being cut, bent and soldered into the elegant tea canisters that his family’s business, Kaikado, has made by hand for the past 150 years. The painstaking process of making chazutsu (cha meaning ‘tea’ and zutsu meaning ‘container’), renowned for their perfectly fitting lids that slip over the container to create an airtight seal, involves around 140 steps. ‘It’s not just about learning a procedure. We also learn about rashisa, which means the atmosphere, character or essence, of Kaikado. We’re responsible for passing on this feeling from previous generations,’ Yagi explains. ‘As craftspeople, we always make something in between the customer and craftsperson, between nature and human, and between previous and future generations.’ In Japan, there are more than a thousand…

When multimedia artist Takayuki Kubota moved back to Tokyo from New York, he began searching for an apartment and a studio, but there was a nagging feeling that he needed to do more. ‘Besides my own art practice, I wanted to do something to contribute to the local art scene from a different perspective,’ he says. While Tokyo is known for its flourishing gallery scene, Kubota realised there was a dearth of experimental artist-run initiatives, something that was common in New York. The seed was planted for Fig., an experimental art space he opened in Tokyo’s Otsuka neighbourhood in 2017. And through Fig., Kubota hoped to change the equation. Among the early exhibitions he staged was a group show combining local names like Japanese artist COBRA with foreign creators like…

Down a narrow alleyway in a residential Tokyo neighbourhood, Yutenji Art House is an 80-year-old Japanese home reimagined as an unconventional art gallery. Renovated by Tokyo-based creative Jesus Salinas of Casiopea Group, the longstanding structure was transformed to meet modern needs while retaining its original architectural features. ‘My approach whenever I design a place is almost like jiu-jitsu, where you consider the forces of the building itself, what it’s giving you, and where you can fit all the things you’ll need,’ says Salinas. Built in the late 1940s, the house sits on a site accessible only by foot — a limitation that determined the type of renovation possible. ‘An old building like this has a lot of character and charm, but can also be very challenging,’ Salinas says. ‘In Japan,…

Having visited Toyama many times over the last decade, I realise now that I was unforgivably dismissive on my first visit. The coastal city is about three hours by train from Tokyo, and I’d arrived early to wander the city before a tour of nearby rural craft areas. When I stepped outside the station, though, it seemed sparse. Faced with low, cuboid buildings and wide yet noticeably quiet streets, I decided there was little to see but prosaic offices. So, within minutes, I made a beeline for Kansui Park, where I waited inside the cafe overlooking the canal and hectares of verdant lawn. Later, I realised that had I walked a little further, I could have seen Nihon Sekkei’s all-glass Grand Plaza, completed in 2007, or taken the Portram, Japan’s…