Posts from — July 2008

This is a follow up from my post yesterday on the Architect, Ryue Nishizawa. Isn’t this one of the most soothing and inspiring rooms you’ve ever seen? I would LOVE to have a space like this. I think I must have a thing for randomly dispersed, yet contained, vegetation.

Seen on the website of Ryue Nishizawa

If you are ever passing through Northern Japan, you must (and I emphasize ‘must’) stop by the Towada Art Center in Aomori. (GMAP) It was designed by Ryue Nishizawa (co-founder of SANAA, who is responsible for the design of The New Museum in Manhattan) and recently opened to the public in April ’08.

Photography by Iwan Baan

The Towada Art Center is the centerpiece of the Towada Arts Project, a larger initiative to convert the main road of the city into an art space in order to emphasize the rich cultural history and beauty that the city possesses.

I know I just got back from a vacation but this is where I would like to go next. Check out the digs that they offer! And yes, although I could never shoot a gun, I will spend my days dressed like these 2 gents, but probably in the wine cellar.

sfgirlbybay has a great post on all those cool non-traditional bookshelves out there. What’s great about these is that they strip away the container and expose the beauty of the books. (However, there is something to be said for those great wooden bookshelves… if you have the space.) Whether they’re new or old, paperback or hardcover, fiction or non-fiction, there is beauty in all those bindings and covers, not to mention what’s inside!

Then I ran into this image over at c-monster. It’s a piece by Mike Stilkey, who uses discarded books as canvases, as well as sculpture material. I think it’s awesome how everyone is reinterpreting the bookshelf.

Interior design/window treatment company TOSO is holding their 4th window design competition. The theme for this year is “coziness by the window”. All you have to do is send in 1 photo of your definition of “coziness by the window” and you’re automatically entered.

There are 2 categories, professional & student, that offer prizes of $10,000 and $3,000, respectively. But to qualify for the student category you have to be enrolled in a Japanese educational institution.

I stumbled across this intriguing website today. Unfortunately I can’t read a word, but if my guessing skills have not failed me, it looks like one of the coolest restaurants ever! Any Dutch speakers care to help me out?

Gorgeous in their simplicity, here are some glass works by Masaki Kusada that I found over at Utsuwa Hotaru. (Between $40 ~ $50)

“Mizu itteki no tame ni” (for a drop of water)

“Kaze no hito no gurasu” (a glass for people of the wind)

When I got home from my trip to the beach I found these awesome pictures in my inbox from Kyouei Design. They’re from their recent show, 2 days 4 products, at the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art.

On display was an installation of “mobile light” (top image), “bulb lantern” (middle image), which was unveiled earlier this year, as well as a number of prototypes (bottom image).

Image courtesy of ielle

I’m taking off for a mini-vacation, but will be back on Monday! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the week, and the subsequent weekend. Cheers!

Art director and writer Ian Lynam has created this first installment in a series of retro Japanese prints inspired by Japanese graphic design from the 1950s. They are available in various formats and can be downloaded HERE. I can’t wait to see next week’s!

via JeanSnow & Néojaponisme