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About the Exhibitor
Message from the Exhibitor
Kenya Hara (Exhibition Director)
ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS is not about architecture for the purpose of "animals". The "dog" represents a universal platform because practically everybody living on Earth is familiar with dogs and many hold some degree of interest in them.
Humans have always built their environments according to their own human scale. The idea of human engineering bases itself on a vision for shaping the environment to fit to the body of the human being. Looking at the small dogs that stand alongside humans, however, I sense that they may be able to offer us with new possibilities for architecture. If we were to imagine an environment based on the scale of dogs, what would it be like? After holding onto the idea for the ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS project with me for over a decade, I became interested in setting it up on the web with the coming of the age of the internet.
I feel that by establishing a place where the interests of fans of architecture and fans of dogs can be brought together on a global scale, the project may be made to develop spontaneously on its own. The project will illustrate a new form of architecture based on the idea of a single plan generating countless replicas across the world.
My idea drew the interest of Imprint Venture Lab, a unique American investment company founded by Julia Huang. Thanks to her, the project was able to move forward. Renowned architects that are the forerunners of the global architectural scene also readily agreed to cooperate in the project. Their mentality to spare no effort in tackling a problem is a virtue of the profession of the architect. It was essential for there to be experienced architects with established architectural philosophies involved in this project in order for it to have an influential power. It goes without saying that their sincere and thoughtful engagement is serving as a great force for the project.
The project has only just begun. Launched at Design Miami/ in late 2012, it has since traveled to the Long Beach Museum of Art in Los Angeles in June 2013 before arriving to TOTO GALLERY·MA in Tokyo. Please keep a close eye on ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS and follow the development of this dynamic project.
ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS is not about architecture for the purpose of "animals". The "dog" represents a universal platform because practically everybody living on Earth is familiar with dogs and many hold some degree of interest in them.
Humans have always built their environments according to their own human scale. The idea of human engineering bases itself on a vision for shaping the environment to fit to the body of the human being. Looking at the small dogs that stand alongside humans, however, I sense that they may be able to offer us with new possibilities for architecture. If we were to imagine an environment based on the scale of dogs, what would it be like? After holding onto the idea for the ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS project with me for over a decade, I became interested in setting it up on the web with the coming of the age of the internet.
I feel that by establishing a place where the interests of fans of architecture and fans of dogs can be brought together on a global scale, the project may be made to develop spontaneously on its own. The project will illustrate a new form of architecture based on the idea of a single plan generating countless replicas across the world.
My idea drew the interest of Imprint Venture Lab, a unique American investment company founded by Julia Huang. Thanks to her, the project was able to move forward. Renowned architects that are the forerunners of the global architectural scene also readily agreed to cooperate in the project. Their mentality to spare no effort in tackling a problem is a virtue of the profession of the architect. It was essential for there to be experienced architects with established architectural philosophies involved in this project in order for it to have an influential power. It goes without saying that their sincere and thoughtful engagement is serving as a great force for the project.
The project has only just begun. Launched at Design Miami/ in late 2012, it has since traveled to the Long Beach Museum of Art in Los Angeles in June 2013 before arriving to TOTO GALLERY·MA in Tokyo. Please keep a close eye on ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS and follow the development of this dynamic project.
Profile
©KENYA HARA
KENYA HARA
Born in 1958. Designer, board member of the Japan DesignCenter, and professor at Musashino Art Univeristy. Hara placesimportance on "invisible" as well as "visible" design, and isconstantly seeking to broaden the horizon and scope of design. Hehas been the Art Director of MUJI since 2002, and additionally hasproduced several exhibitions, such as RE DESIGN, HAPTIC,SENSEWARE and HOUSE VISION, which focused on value renovation. His books, Designing Design and White have beentranslated into several languages and have been receivedpopularly across the globe.
Born in 1958. Designer, board member of the Japan DesignCenter, and professor at Musashino Art Univeristy. Hara placesimportance on "invisible" as well as "visible" design, and isconstantly seeking to broaden the horizon and scope of design. Hehas been the Art Director of MUJI since 2002, and additionally hasproduced several exhibitions, such as RE DESIGN, HAPTIC,SENSEWARE and HOUSE VISION, which focused on value renovation. His books, Designing Design and White have beentranslated into several languages and have been receivedpopularly across the globe.
Exhibiting Architects & Designers
ATELIER BOW-WOW×DACHSHUND SMOOTH
Atelier Bow-Wow is a Tokyo-based firm founded in 1992 byYoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima. The practice hasdesigned and built houses as well as public and commercialbuildings in Tokyo, Europe, and the USA. Its urban researchstudies led to the experimental project "micro-public-space", a newconcept of public space, which has been exhibited around theworld.
TOYO ITO×SHIBA
Architect. Born in 1941. Graduating from the University of TokyoDepartment of Architecture in 1965. His main works include SendaiMediatheque, Tama Art University Library (Hachioji campus), etc.He was awarded the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, GoldenLion at the Venice Biennale, Royal Gold Medal from The RoyalInstitute of British Architects, The Pritzker Architecture Prize, etc.
MVRDV×BEAGLE
MVRDV was set up in Rotterdam (Netherlands) in 1993 by WinyMaas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries. In closecollaboration, the three principal architect directors producedesigns and studies in the fields of architecture, urbanism, andlandscape design.
KENGO KUMA×PUG
Architect, Professor at the University of Tokyo. Born in 1954.Recent works include FRAC Marseilles, Besançon Art Center,Kabuki Theare, Nagaoka City Hall, Asakusa Culture and TourismCenter, Nezu Museum, and Suntory Museum. New projects areunderway both in Japan and abroad. His latest writings include:Chisana Kenchiku and Kenchikuka, Hashiru.
KONSTANTIN GRCIC×TOY POODLE
Konstantin Grcic, born 1965, was trained as a cabinetmaker at theJohn Makepeace School for Craftsmen in Wood (Dorset, England)before studying design at the Royal College of Art in London. Heestablished his own office, Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design(KGID) in Munich in 1991. Since then he has developed furniture,products, and lighting for some of the leading companies in thedesign field.
KAZUYO SEJIMA×BICHON FRISE
Architect. Kazuyo Sejima studied architecture at the JapanWomen’s University before going to work for Toyo Ito. Shelaunched her own practice in 1987. In 1995, she establishedSANAA with Ryue Nishizawa. Her own works include, House in aPlum Grove, Inujima Art House Project. SANAA’s main worksinclude: the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art inKanazawa, the EPFL Rolex Learning Center, and the Louvre-Lens.
TORAFU ARCHITECTS×JACK RUSSELL TERRIER
Founded in 2004 by Koichi Suzuno and Shinya Kamuro, TorafuArchitects employs a working approach based on architecturalthinking. Works by the duo include a diverse range of productsfrom architectural design to interior design for shops, exhibitionspace design, product design, spatial installations, and filmmaking.
HIROSHI NAITO×SPITZ
Architect, Professor emeritus, University of Tokyo. Born in 1950 inKanagawa, Japan. Received M.Arch from Graduate School ofWaseda University. After working as chief architect at thearchitectural office of Fernand Higueras(Madrid, Spain,1976-1978), and as staff at Kikutake Architects (Tokyo, Japan,1979-1981), he established Naito Architect&Associates in 1981.
SHIGERU BAN×PAPILLON
Architect. Shigeru Ban, who was born in Tokyo in 1957, attendedthe Southern California Institute of Architecture and graduated fromthe Cooper Union School of Architecture in 1984. In 1985, heestablished Shigeru Ban Architects, a private practice in Tokyo. In1995, He started working as a consultant for the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees and at the same time establishedan NGO, Voluntary Architects' Network(VAN). Renowned for hisworks such as Nicolas G. Hayek Center and CentrePompidou-Metz, he is today based in his three offices in Tokyo,Paris, and New York.
SOU FUJIMOTO×BOSTON TERRIER
Architect. Born in Hokkaido in 1971. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he established Sou Fujimoto Architects in2000. "Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion 2013" is his latestwork. In 2012, the Japan Pavilion in La Biennale di Venezia, inwhich Fujimoto also participated, was awarded the Golden Lion.
REISER+UMEMOTO×CHIHUAHUA
Reiser ┼ Umemoto RUR Architecture PC is an internationallyrecognized multidisciplinary architectural design firm that has builtprojects at a wide range of scales: from furniture, residential, andcommercial structures, up to landscape, urban, and infrastructuredesign. The firm provides a full scope of involvements with therelationship of architecture, structure, and landscape, approachingeach project as the continuation of an ongoing inquiry, delving intorelationships among architecture, territory, and infrastructure.
HARA DESIGN INSTITUTE×JAPANESE TERRIER
The Hara Design Institute, founded in 1991, is a design sectionwithin the Nippon Design Center that is supervised by Kenya Hara.Its specialty is communication design. It is involved in multipleprojects that delve into the actual issues of the day from thestandpoint of design.
KENYA HARA×TEACUP POODLE
※Profile has cited.
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