On till the 25th June, The Japanese House: Architecture & Life after 1945 is an immersive exhibition where you not only see models and plans of houses (see images below) but also experience a full scale reconstruction of a Japanese home with rooms scattered around garden spaces. The different theories and architectural practice are fascinating in a country that had to rethink so much after the Second World War.
The washing machine in the courtyard epitomises indoor-outdoor living reminding me vividly of my life in India.
The contemporary tea house is cosy with tea ceremonies scheduled to take place there during the show.
The concept of lightweight architecture and living extended to fashion with the Final Home coat by Kosuke Tsumura from 1991. Multiple pockets can be filled for insulation, padding and objects for survival in case of evacuation. With this you can be prepared for all eventualities as, according to the designer, “when one loses his house, the thing that protects in the end is cloth”.
The Garden & House below by architect Ryue Nishizawa from 2011 slips into a gap between existing buildings and fully integrates a garden within its design.
Katsuhiro Miyamoto took a dynamic approach to the damage his 1900 house had sustained after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, partly in protest to the wasteful official line of total demolition. His “restoration” honours the history and memories of this old house providing continuity.
