Hasta La Ideas

Milan 2014: Japanese architect Jo Nagasaka has created a collection of spongy seats by tying up blocks of foam and dipping them in rubber.

Nagasaka, who is principal of architecture studio Schemata Architects, based the Shibari series on the traditional Japanese art form of the same name, which means “to tie something with string”.

The series, created for Japanese design brand Ichiro Inc, was presented at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during the Salone del Mobile in Milan earlier this month.

To create the pieces of furniture, foam sheets were folded and tied up into bulging forms with rope. They were then dipped in a rubber coating. Each piece is a different irregular shape and comes in black or white.

Different types of furniture – stools, sofas or tables – can be created by varying the way the foam is folded and tied. The lightweight items can then be carried around by using the knot as a handle. “We are envisioning furniture that generates different activities according to what we tie and how we tie,” said Nagasaka.

Shibari is reputed to have evolved from Hojo-jutsu, the martial art of restraining captives by tying them up with rope. Samurai warriors honoured high-status captives by binding them in elaborate and flattering ways.

This later evolved into Shibari, an erotic form of bondage that involves tying up the human body in such a way that the knots and ropes act upon pressure points to create an effect similar to shiatsu or acupuncture.

See all our stories from Milan 2014.

Photography is by Hirotaka Hashimoto.

The post Foam dipped in rubber becomes
seating by Jo Nagasaka appeared first on Dezeen.

Japanese architect Jo Nagasaka of Schemata Architecture Office has designed the interior of a food-photography studio in Tokyo.

Located in the industrial warehouse area of Kaigan Minato, Hue Plus was designed for image agency Amana Holdings and combines a photographic studio, office, cafe, library and kitchen.

The studio is designed to feel more like a social space than a workplace and features exposed wooden flooring, untreated concrete walls and dining tables with legs made of tree trunks.

We’ve previously featured the studio’s design for a house contained in a 3m cube, a shop made from demolition scraps and an office with a hidden slide.

See more stories about Schemata Architecture Office »

Photography is by Takumi Ota.

Here’s some more information from the architects:

Hue plus

The alternative space Hue+ is a series of facilities seamlessly integrated into the photo studio, where the visual expression of ‘eating’ is the particular subject of photographic exploration.

Unlike an ordinary photo studio that is a closed box to be used merely as a shooting equipment, Hue+ is an office space, a cafe, a library and a kitchen that the users have control over, making them feel like staying longer for its own sake and enjoy the experience.

Hue+ embraces its users by enabling them to change it as they feel fit. The relaxed atmosphere offers further possibilities of open and vibrant communications to stir up the users’ creative minds and fresh ideas about ‘eating’.

title : Hue plus
architects：Jo Nagasaka／Schemata Architects
address：Kaigan Minato Tokyo

usage：photo studio and office
construction： Tanseisha Co.,Ltd(interior)

Jun Hamada／ADOPT Kitchen works(kitchen)
Denyusha Co.,Ltd.(electricity)

Takasago Thermal Engineering Co.,Ltd.(equipment)
Syuhei Nakamura(epoxy)

design：So Hashizume(sign)
floor area：1704.3㎡

floors : 6F 7F RF
completion ：04/2012

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Architecture Office appeared first on Dezeen.