Keiji Ashizawa Design uses neutral tones for jewellery showroom in Tokyo
Japanese studio Keiji Ashizawa Design has completed a minimalist showroom and office for jewellery and fashion brand Mariha in Tokyo. More
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Pooploop exhibition at 21_21 explores new uses for “waste and excrement”
An exhibition at the 21_21 Design Sight gallery in Tokyo shows how human excrement and other types of waste can become more valuable to people and planet. More
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Shogo Onodera transforms existing surfaces in Tokyo boutique to “avoid making anything new”
Marble covered with plaster and metal treated with acid are among the repurposed materials used by Japanese architect Shogo Onodera to minimise waste while fitting out the flagship store of fashion brand IZA Tokyo. More
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Simplicity sets Osaka’s “first modern ryokan” inside Nikken Sekkei high-rise
Design studio Simplicity used a palette of natural materials including wood, stone and tatami to evoke the look and feel of a traditional Japanese inn when creating the ryokan floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Osaka. More
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Funamachi Base cafe and sweet shop designed as “extension of the park”
Timber pillars and PVC pipes were left bare to blur the boundaries between the interior and exterior of cafe and sweet shop in Funamachi, Japan, designed by Schemata Architects.
Named Funamachi Base, the combined sweet store and cafe is located next to a park in the centre of Funamachi, a riverport town in central Japan.
The cafe is located close to a riverThis location inspired the design of its three buildings, which house a restaurant, sweetshop and a structurewith an office, kitchen and workshop.
“We envisioned the facility as an extension of the park, including the courtyard connected via flowerpots, so that the boundary between the inside and outside of the site would disappear and one would be gradually drawn inside,” the studio said.
Part of the foundation of the building forms a counterSchemata Architects’ founder Jo Nagasaka told Dezeen that the aim was also for people to wander into the space as they walk along the river.“The main idea was to incorporate the greenway along the river into the facility,” he said. “The design is based on the expectation that people will find themselves entering into the shop as they walk along.”
Schemata Architects designed the cafe and sweet shop with large overhanging roofsLarge roofs extend out from the buildings of the 326-square-metre Funamachi Base, creating sheltered spaces where visitors can sit and enjoy the cafe’s bean buns.
“The distance between each building is taken and a roof is placed between them to create a semi-outdoor space, but to avoid clear boundaries between the inside and outside, the idea was to use the same materials inside and out,” Nagasaka said.
The same materials were used for the interior and exterior of Funamachi BaseMade from concrete and Douglas fir wood, Funamachi Base also features visible PVC pipes, a design choice that Schemata Architects made to underline the interaction between the interior and the exterior.
“The same materials were used inside and outside: calcium silicate board and putty coating, PVC pipes generally used for outdoor gutters were sandblasted and placed across the inside and outside of the building, and the eaves extended to create a space where the inside and outside are interchangeable,” the studio said.Schemata Architects transforms 145-year-old townhouse into Le Labo flagship
The foundation of the building was designed to bulge out, forming a counter from which to sell the sweets.
It was also used to create a bench for visitors to rest on and a well, as water is needed to create Japanese sweets.
A light-brown pattern decorates the facadesThe facades of the buildings have a light-brown pattern, adding to their industrial feel.
“White walls would make it look like a stylised Japanese building, so we dared to deviate from that,” Nagasaka explained. “We have chosen this so that the construction process is reduced and the finish is unusual.”
Schemata Architects recently designed the Komaeyu bathhouse in Tokyo, which was shortlisted for a Dezeen Award 2024 in the interiors category.
The photography is by Yurika Kono.
Project credits:
Architect: Jo Nagasaka / Schemata ArchitectsProject team: Yuko YamashitaConstruction: GikenCollaboration: Monochrome (solar panel integrated roof), Fukushima Galilei (kitchen)Read more: More
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Japanese food replicas “trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite”
Gleaming sushi and an “earthquake-proof burger” are among the hyperrealistic food models on display at Japan House London as part of the exhibition Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture.
Opening today, the show documents Japan’s history of food replicas, known as food samples or shokuhin sampuru in Japanese, which dates back to 1923 and continues as a contemporary trend.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture opens today at Japan House LondonThe bespoke replicas are scale models of dishes from the country’s 1.4 million restaurants, produced by craftspeople for eateries wishing to advertise hyperrealistic versions of their menu items to prospective diners.
Simon Wright, director of programming at Japan House London, explained that the meticulous detailing and bright colours synonymous with the world-famous replicas intend to “stimulate how delicious the food actually is”.
The exhibition explores the country’s many food replicas”There’s a slight exaggeration to trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite,” he told Dezeen at the gallery.Among the works is a dedicated section revealing how the replicas are made, including moulds and stencils such as a screenprint stencil used to create fish scales, arranged in a factory-style layout atop colourful crates.
Early replicas were cast from coloured candle waxThe display examines the shift from early replicas cast from coloured candle wax, which was historically poured into a box of agar jelly, to the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) replicas cast in silicon moulds that emerged in the 1970s and continue to be used today.
“Even though the materials are different, ultimately, it hasn’t really changed,” said Wright.
A contemporary “earthquake-proof burger” is included in the show”The process is exactly the same,” he continued, explaining that real food has always been used to create the moulds. “It’s quite analogue. It’s all handcrafted – there are no conveyor belts and automation.”
“That means that there’s a versatility to making food replicas,” he continued. “Any restaurant or food establishment can have what it wants. So maybe your hamburger is just a little bit fatter than the one next door – you can give the craftspeople your fat hamburger, and they will make an exact replica of that.”
Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures is represented by a replica of a local dish”Colours are also made according to actual food substances,” acknowledged Wright, referring to the selection of paints on display that are used to finish each replica, featuring names including pumpkin peel and croissant.
Another section explores the evolution of food displays, highlighting how the introduction of heat-resistant materials allowed for more dynamic compositions – such as noodles being lifted from a handless fork or cheese oozing from a piece of airborne toast.
The exhibition features a range of replicas displayed in myriad waysA playful, “earthquake-proof burger” formed from towering piles of artificial meat, relish and onions stands tall on one of the plinths.
“When you display wax, it has to be flat, because it either melts in the heat or fades in the sunlight, which isn’t very effective as a marketing tool,” said Wright.
“When PVC was introduced, you were able to tilt the dish by 45 to 60 degrees, therefore giving more exposure and more visibility to the outside of the model.”
Applications of replicas beyond restaurant settings are also included in the exhibitionIn the centre of the gallery, a banquette-style table presents 47 models commissioned for the exhibition, created by leading food replica manufacturer Iwasaki.
Arranged like a map, each model represents a dish from one of Japan’s 47 prefectures. There is zuwai-gani, shimmering orange snow crab served in the winter in Tottori, and “scattered sushi” from Okayama known as bara-zushi, arranged in a circular timber box.
“We chose them for their variety, size, colour and shape,” said Wright, who explained that they consulted people across Japan when selecting the delicacies.Taste-Adjusting Chopsticks makes food taste saltier without adding salt
Elsewhere, the first known food replica created for commercial purposes is on display. Completed in 1931 by Iwasaki Group founder Iwasaki Takizō, the model is a wrinkly yellow omelette topped with a dollop of red sauce and a replica of a dish that Iwasaki’s wife had just prepared in the kitchen at home.
Applications of replicas beyond restaurant settings are also included in the exhibition, highlighting the expanding ways that people are using food models.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture runs until 16 February 2025Mounted to one wall is a 3D chart produced for the Japan Diabetes Society classifying food groups according to their primary nutrients, while a “carrot preparation guide” for family caregivers and nursing home staff features a gradient of consistency – from finely cut vegetable rounds to a smooth paste.
Visitors can also create their own bento box of replica food on a dedicated food assembly table covered with a red and white gingham tablecloth.
Wright explained that wax food models were originally created in the early 20th century to introduce Japanese diners to less familiar cuisines imported from China and Europe, before restaurants began to commission replicas of local dishes.
Today, the Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture is the first UK exhibition of its kind, and offers London audiences the chance to see handcrafted Japanese models up close.
“In Japan, you’ll see exhibitions of competition pieces, but they only exist within a context of what people understand food replicates to be,” said Wright. “Whereas this kind of thing doesn’t really exist, and has never been shown before.”
Elsewhere in London, social enterprise POOR Collective exhibited a collection of work by emerging local designers. Design studio Wax Atelier also presented an exhibition revealing how living trees can provide materials for design objects.
The photography is courtesy of Japan House London.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture takes place from 2 October 2024 to 16 February 2025 at Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA.Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.Read more: More
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Schemata Architects transforms 145-year-old townhouse into Le Labo flagship
Tokyo studio Schemata Architects has combined Japanese and Western designs inside a traditional wooden townhouse in Kyoto to create a store for perfumery brand Le Labo.
The building, otherwise known as a machiya, is located in the Kiyamachi area and has been revamped to incorporate Le Labo’s typical finishes while respecting its 145-year-old architecture.
The flagship store is located in an old Kyoto townhouse”How can a brand born and loved in the USA, a country with a culture of shoes-on, be in step with the values of traditional Japanese architecture, a culture of shoes-off, and blend in with Japanese culture?” Schemata Architects founder Jo Nagasaka told Dezeen.
“The project was a struggle between the two.”
Schemata Architects’ design respects the original interiorLe Labo stores are normally located in pared-back modern concrete buildings, but here, Schemata Architects kept the feel of the old townhouse, while making concessions for Western customs.“We were discussing all the time how much of the existing weathered textures should be retained,” Nagasaka said.
A craftsman room is located on the second floorThe first floor, which showcases the brand’s products, feels more like other Le Labo stores, while the second, which houses offices, a craftsman room and a “fragrance organ”, has a more traditional feel.
“The first floor was furnished as a place to spend time standing up with shoes on, and products were displayed,” Nagasaka said.
“The second floor, on the other hand, was designed as a place to go up without shoes due to the height of the floor and the structure of the floor, so it consists mainly of low furniture.”
Antique and vintage furniture is used throughoutAs the store is located in an ancient city – Kyoto has been a city since 794 – Schemata Architects wanted the interior fittings to adhere to the traditional style of a machiya.
“The countertops, wall shelves, staircase, and other architectural elements are composed using the language of the machiya, and the paint scheme is consistent with the existing one, using antique colours of bengara, red earth pigment, and shown, pine soot,” the studio said.
Schemata Architects designed a pine staircase for the interiorThe studio has used mostly antique Japanese furniture pieces for the display cases and vintage Western metal lamps for the lighting design.
Schemata Architects also designed a staircase and shelving in pine wood for the interior, dying them to match the building’s existing structures.Schemata Architects clads Komaeyu bathhouse in “patchwork” of turquoise tiles
“We wanted the staircase and shelves to be as close to the existing structure as possible, so we applied an ‘old colour paint’ over the common type of wood, the same as is applied to the existing structure,” Nagasaka said.
“Old colour paint is a colour-controlled mixture of persimmon tannin and soot of burnt pine.”
Walls are left bare with products displayed on pine shelvesThe store, which also has a cafe in an adjacent building across a small courtyard, now embodies the “spirit of Le Labo,” according to Schemata Architects.
“By carefully connecting and blending the machiya building with new fixtures, furniture, and products, it embodies the spirit of Le Labo, which treats time, age, craftsmanship, handiwork, and textures with great care,” the studio concluded.
Other recent projects by Schemata Architects include a concrete-and-brick gallery in Seoul and a public bathhouse clad in turquoise tiles.
The photography is courtesy of Le Labo.Read more: More
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Sabine Marcelis and Ini Archibong among designers to collaborate with Japanese artisans
A sound-emitting egg sculpture and a samurai chest of drawers feature in a series of objects made by designers in collaboration with master artisans from Japan’s Tohoku region, on show for London Design Festival.
Designers Sabine Marcelis, Ini Archibong, Studio Swine, Yoichi Ochiai, Michael Young and Hideki Yoshimoto all participated in the Craft x Tech initiative, with the results now on show at the V&A.
Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine created a contemporary Sendai-Tansu chest (main image)Each designer was paired with a different artisan and asked to apply their expertise to a contemporary work.
“Craft x Tech is more than an exhibition; it’s a celebration of cultural collaboration and innovation,” said designer and engineer Hideki Yoshimoto, who initiated the project.
Sabine Marcelis produced tables with a high-gloss finish”By showcasing these exceptional works, we hope to inspire new dialogues and creative expressions within the design community and beyond,” said Yoshimoto.Marcelis’ contribution saw her work with artisans from Akita, who specialise in the Kawatsura Shikki style of lacquerware, to create high-gloss finishes.
Marcelis collaborated with a lacquerware artisan from AkitaRenowned for her colourful Candy Cube furniture, the Dutch designer explored a similarly minimal aesthetic. The use of lacquer gives these pieces their distinctly shiny finish.
Also working with lacquer, American designer Archibong collaborated with Tsugaru-Nuri specialists from Aomori. The result is a sculpture that emits sounds in response to movement.
Ini Archibong created a sound-emitting egg sculptureAzusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine created a contemporary version of the Sendai-Tansu chest of drawers, specific to the city of Sendai, which traditionally would be crafted for samurai warriors and merchants.
The British-Japanese duo created a geometric design that takes cues from Japanese block prints and metabolist architecture.Pearson Lloyd reveals 10 “well-made” design objects from LDF exhibition
Just like with the traditional chests, the drawers are completely airtight, so closing one drawer causes another to open.
Hong Kong-based designer Michael Young used the ironware techniques of Iwate’s Nambu-Tekki artisans to create tables with intricate legs, decorated with patterns based on cherry blossoms.
Michael Young created tables using Iwate’s Nambu-Tekki ironware techniquesThe traditional Japanese tea room was the starting point for Japanese artist Yoichi Ochiai, who was invited to work with Oitama Tsumugi silk.
The textile forms a red see-through cube with tree branches suspended at its centre.
Yoichi Ochiai used Oitama Tsumugi silk to create a contemporary teahouseThe final addition comes from Yoshimoto himself, who created a floor lamp utilising Tohoku’s oldest pottery traditions.
The design combines distinctive glazed elements with precisely cut resin and metal.
Hideki Yoshimoto created a floor lamp utilising Tohoku’s oldest pottery traditionsMaria Cristina Didero curated the exhibition, which was presented in Tokyo and Basel before coming to the UK for London Design Festival.
“This project is a testament to the limitless possibilities that arise when traditional craftsmanship meets modern technology,” said Didero.
Craft x Tech is on show at the V&A from 14 September to 13 October 2024 as part of London Design Festival. Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.Read more: More
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Teki Design creates Kyoto cafe as hub to “learn about the future of coffee”
2050 Coffee is a minimalist self-service coffee shop in Kyoto designed to raise awareness about sustainability issues surrounding the future of the drink.
According to architecture and interiors firm Teki Design, the coffee shop aims to interrogate “the 2050 coffee problem” – the fact that there could be a global scarcity of coffee the year 2050.
Teki Design created the interiors for 2050 Coffee in Kyoto”Climate change might lead to a decrease in areas suitable for coffee cultivation,” Teki Design founder Tatsuya Nishinaga told Dezeen.
“The current practice of enjoying the drink at coffee shops may become more of a luxury,” added the designer.
The cafe features self-service machinesIn response, Teki Design wanted to create a stripped-back interior for the cafe, where customers come and “learn about the future of coffee”.2050 Coffee is spread over two open-plan levels and features large rectilinear windows on its facade, which reveal a monochrome interior.
Polycarbonate counters display the machinesInside, smooth grey walls create a backdrop for curved and illuminated counters made from corrugated polycarbonate sheets, chosen for their “inexpensive and familiar” qualities.
“While this material is often used for shed roofs due to its low cost and accessibility, it reflects light beautifully,” said Tatsuya.
A small seating area features at one end of the ground floorThe counters display brightly lit self-service screens connected to sleek silver taps that produce five types of “sustainable” drip coffee in around 10 seconds.
Polycarbonate was also applied to the cafe entrance to create a large, rounded sign emblazoned with the 2050 Coffee logo, which acts as a beacon when seen from afar.
Upstairs, shelves display various coffee paraphernaliaA small seating area at one end of the ground floor was formed from understated black benches.
Upstairs, more dark-hued seating was arranged next to a series of low-lit, chunky frame-shaped shelves displaying various coffee paraphernalia.
The shelves are reflected in floor-to-ceiling mirrors, selected to add to the coffee shop’s futuristic feel.Rosana Escobar finds new potential in the humble coffee bag
As well as a cafe, 2050 Coffee is used as a space for various pop-up events that investigate coffee and sustainability.
Tatsuya warned that despite these issues, drinking coffee is becoming more popular worldwide, adding to the problem.
“As coffee consumption increases, particularly in Asian countries where tea has been the traditional choice, the balance between demand and supply may become disrupted,” he explained.
“Creating a place where people can first learn and then think together is what we consider our approach to problem-solving.”
2050 Coffee is positioned on a Kyoto street cornerPreviously completed coffee shops in Japan include a Tokyo cafe in a former warehouse and another in Kyoto clad in rapidly oxidised copper.
The photography is by Kenta Hasegawa.Read more: More
