During the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale (June 7 – Nov 23, 2014) Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto is presenting a glass tea house titled “Mondrian.” The name, written in Japanese as 聞鳥庵 is a pun – a Japanese transliteration of the name of the Dutch painter.
The tea house is located in a courtyard belonging to fellow collaborator and glassmaker le stanze del vetro. It consists of elements, each of which pays homage to the past and the present; tradition and technology. The form itself is inspired by that of Ise Shrine. The exterior wooden fence is made from cedar wood sourced entirely from the Tohoku region, which was struck by the earthquake and tsunami 3 years ago. The mosaic reflecting pool, as well as the glass house itself, is a testament to craftsmanship and modern technology.
But why do Japanese artists and designers continue to design new tea houses? That’s a question we try to answer in a special series that discusses the history of the tea house and modern attempts to define it.
source: 2modern blog
June 22, 2014 at 9:29 am
Love this glass teahouse!