The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that SANAA, the Japanese architectural practice led by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, will receive the 2025 Royal Gold Medal. RIBA states that SANAA has reshaped the global design landscape by creating spaces that prioritize simplicity, light, and elegance.
[Read more…] about SANAA awarded 2025 RIBA Royal Gold MedalJapan
Naoto Fukasawa at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
13 December 2024 – 20 April 2025 | Philadelphia Museum of Art, PHILADELPHIA
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) announces Naoto Fukasawa: Things in Themselves, the first major US exhibition celebrating the career of renowned Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. The exhibition will coincide with Fukasawa receiving the 2024 Collab Design Excellence Award on December 12. Things in Themselves will showcase Fukasawa’s minimalist and user-centered design philosophy, presenting production designs alongside working sketches and models.
[Read more…] about Naoto Fukasawa at the Philadelphia Museum of ArtDaisuke Yamamoto designs the FLOW furniture collection
Tokyo-based, Japanese designer Daisuke Yamamoto, utilised discarded Lightweight Gauge Steel (LGS), commonly used in construction framing systems, to create the FLOW furniture collection. The design prioritises deconstruction to avoid a ‘scrap and build’ construction process. Yamamoto advocates for a ‘fluid material lifecycle minimising industrial waste’ approach, seeking to shift from a conventional ‘think → build → waste’ model to a more sustainable ‘waste → think → recreate’ process. Photo of Enzo Mari Homage Chair by Masayuki Hayashi. © Daisuke Yamamoto Design Studio. Daisuke Yamamoto
House in Fukui City, Japan by Mizukami Architects
Japan-based studio Tetsuya Mizukami Architects has designed a house for a young couple in a residential area of Fukui City, Japan. The site is accessed by climbing a slope that offers mountain views in front and, from the southern end of the site, views of the city with mountains beyond. The architects aimed to incorporate this experience into the house by creating bright, open spaces that are offset by half a floor, providing views through openings onto void spaces that connect to the surrounding landscape. Photo Ken’ichi Suzuki. Mizukami Architects
EN collection of tables and chairs designed by Cecille Manz for Maruni
The EN collection of tables and chairs was designed by Danish designer Cecile Manz for the Japanese furniture company Maruni, which was founded in 1928. The original EN chair, with its curved backrest and loop frame legs, was launched with a soft-coloured fabric upholstery seat. An all-wood version with a solid wooden seat was released in 2023. The chairs are manufactured in a natural finish, rusty red, dusty green, clay white, and black. The round EN table is made of maple wood with colours applied to the legs. Maruni
