The “House Vision” exhibition was launched in 2011 as an opportunity for the leading lights of Japanese design to explore future possibilities for the house, a structure that — perhaps more than any other — intimately reflects the way people live. Indeed, archaeologists have been known to study the home designs of lost civilizations to piece together the daily habits of people who left behind few other records. This exhibition does something similar but in reverse: The designs anticipate the kinds of lives people will lead in the future.
The theme for this year’s exhibition is “co–dividual split, connect/separate and come together.” Muji’s art director, Kenya Hara, organized the exhibition, working in conjunction with Sadao Tsuchiya and the architect Kengo Kuma, who planned the overall arrangement of the displays.
Yoshino-Sugi Cedar House by Airbnb and Go Hasegawa evokes the ancient craft of Japanese timber work in a contemporary context.
Kengo Kuma teamed up with Toyota to produce a residence divided into tent-like pods.
Architecture firms paired up with companies like Airbnb and Panasonic to design pavilions that reflected what the homes of the future might look like. Looking at the imaginative models these pairings produced, it’s clear the exhibition benefited by casting a wide net and drawing in perspectives from multiple industries.
Rental Space Tower by Daito Trust Construction and Sou Fujimoto reflects the flexibility of the modern workforce.
Woodgrain House by Toppan Printing and the Hara Design Institute appears to have been carved from a gargantuan tree trunk.
Each team designed a full-scale model for visitors to explore. Highlights include Airbnb’s collaboration with Go Hasegawa: A cedar house with a striking gabled roof. Meanwhile, Daito Trust Construction and Sou Fujimoto created innovative modular towers that stack on top of one another.
The curved Hiragana-no Spiral House was conceived by Yuko Nagayama with tech company Panasonic.
Nomad House by Isetan Mitsukoshi and Tanijiri Makoto Ai Yoshida features elements from traditional Japanese architecture.
The House With Refrigerator Access From Outside by Yamato Holdings and Fumie Shibata upends the conventions of interior and exterior space.
The flexibility of the modern workforce is reflected in Muji and Atelier Bow-Wow’s scheme for a two-story office that doubles as a residence. Lixil and Shigeru Ban found a way to create a sense of capaciousness within a confined space with the open floor plan of their Life Core pavilion. Finally, Toyota and Kengo Kuma created an intimate living space divided into tent-like pods. Each room in their imaginative scheme is a standalone structure.
Interior of Lixil and Shigeru Ban’s Life Core. The open floor plan makes efficient use of space.
The proposal by TOTO · YKK AP x Atsushi Igarashi Taiji Fujimori is entitledBetween Inside and Outside / Between Furniture and a Room.
Overall, the designs at this year’s “House Vision” exhibition challenge visitors to rethink the way space is organized in modern residential buildings. The exhibition opens in Tokyo on July 30 and runs through August 28.
Muji and Atelier Bow-Wow’s mixed office/residence is among the highlights of the exhibition.
Wireless Roof House by Culture Convenience Club, Hara Design Institute (exhibit design) and Shunya Nakajima (video production)
Kengo Kuma designed the floor plan of the exhibition.
Images via designboom and ArchDaily