Tokyo architect Fumihiko Sano used Japanese design brand Muji's popular steel shelving system to create this room-like installation for an exhibition exploring standard units of measurement (+ slideshow).
Sano, who is the founder of Studio Phenomenon, created the temporary structure for the exhibition Measuring: This much, That much, How much?, held at Tokyo's 21_21 Design Sight gallery from February to May 2015.
Titled Unit of Muji, the installation was constructed using the brand's first furniture item – a steel shelving unit that went into production in 1996.
Twenty years on from its launch, the self-assembly shelf has become a staple of Muji's interior design range. Sano's design aimed to offer a fresh interpretation of the familiar product's usage.
"For this exhibition, I came up with the idea to expand the function of the shelf from just a storage space to a space to live in," said the architect. "The result of this concept is 'Muji's measurement', where the storage and living space is seamlessly unified."
Sano said the product's measurements of 800 millimetres by 370 millimetres were informed by the dimensions of the shaku – a standard measuring unit used in traditional Japanese architecture.
The installation was made up of shelves with two different lengths that formed a grid applied to both the horizontal and vertical surfaces. Smaller units stacked to create pillars at the corners supported the space's external walls.
Irregularly arranged shelves displayed a selection of Muji's homeware products and clothing items. A staircase and dining table that extended into the internal area were designed to enhance the idea of a liveable space.
"By using steel shelving units to build a kind of style commonly seen in Japanese architecture, where the pillars are installed instead of walls for support, I suggested a new perspective on the living environment of Japanese people," Sano added.
Only a couple of joints had to be removed from the existing shelving units to enable the configuration of multiple items without any welding.
The simple connections and minimal metal-rod surfaces were left visible to emphasise the lightweight construction.
Japanese brand Muji is introducing a range of handmade homeware – including woodwork, ceramic and glass pieces – to its stores (+ slideshow).
Muji is introducing a range of handmade objects to its collection, including containers by glass artist Kazumi Tsjui
Named Tatazumai, the collection comprises more than 100 items designed in collaboration with six contemporary Japanese artisans.
Designer Ryuji Mitani has created a wooden tray to be used in the kitchen
Pieces in the collection include decorative household objects by glass artist Kazumi Tsjui, boxes and other mixed-material wares from Michiko Iwata, ceramic items by Keisuke Iwata, kitchenware from both woodworker Ryuji Mitani and ceramist Masanobu Ando, and clothing from the textile artist Akiko Ando.
"The word Tatazumai translates to appearance, shape or atmosphere, and is often used in Japan to compliment the organic, wholesome nature of a person or object," said Muji.
Mitani also designed a pitcher, which features a ridged edge
"The collection features objects that are used in daily life, that harmonise beautifully with other objects in your home and are meant to live side by side with the person using them," they continued.
Tatazumai was first introduced by Muji in Japan, and then in Paris last year. The collection will be on show at an exhibition curated by antique dealer Kazumi Sakata at Muji's Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York from 23 to 26 June.
Throughout the duration of the exhibition, each of the six artisans will be available to speak about their pieces and processes with visitors.
Muji is the latest brand to tap into a growing market for crafted products. In an interview with Dezeen, Sebastian Cox – one of the leading young designers in Britain's burgeoning craft movement – explained that his interest in techniques like coppicing and swilling was about exploring new opportunities within old methods.
"I'm not being sentimental, or nostalgic and sad, about the idea that these skills will be lost if not passed on," he said. "I get excited about the prospect of finding a new – to me, or to contemporary design – set of materials or techniques to learn and draw inspiration from."
Textile artist Akiko Ando produced clothing for Muji
New brand 2016/ is another to turn its attention to traditional crafts, uniting contemporary designers with craftspeople from Amrita, Japan, where there is a 400-year-old porcelain industry.
Muji was founded in 1980 in Japan and is known for its small products – such as Naoto Fukasawa's 1999 wall-mounted CD-player – designed to be free of branding.
Artist Keisuke Iwata designed a black ceramic teapot
Atelier Bow-Wow teamed up with Japanese design brand Muji to create a prototype for paddy field housing
House Vision 2016 includes 12 housing prototypes by notable Japanese architects and designers, as well as think tanks for construction and technology companies. All the designers teamed up with big brands to make their vision a reality.
Atelier Bow-Wow worked with Japanese design brand Muji to create Tanada Terrace Office, a prototype for paddy field housing.
Sou Fujimoto designed a pixellated prototype for a shared living space for the Tokyo real estate company Daito Trust Construction
The stilted timber structure is designed as a workspace for digital nomads. It is intended to encourage city dwellers to support Japan's ageing agricultural communities, by working remotely and helping out during rice harvesting season.
Sou Fujimoto used cubes of timber to create a housing model with a pixelated appearance for the Tokyo real estate company Daito Trust Construction. Named Rental Space Tower, the structure is a prototype for shared living space.
Kengo Kuma designed the venue itself, including the entrance and a network of latticed timber walkways to connect the exhibits
Kengo Kuma, who also undertook the venue design, created a series of tents titled Grand Third Living Room.
Based on Toyota's electric vehicles, the tents are pre-charged with solar power. They are intended for remote areas without energy infrastructure.
Kuma also created a series of energy-storing tents titled Grand Third Living Room, which are based on Toyota's electric vehicles
A network of latticed timber walkways by Kuma connect the exhibits, which also includes the Checkerboard Water Garden by the architect.
The water garden is made using cedar wood from Sumitomo Forestry and planted with maple trees supplied by "plant hunter" Seijun Nishihata. It is intended as a model for public space during the Olympics, which will be held in the city in four years' time.
Suppose Design Office founders Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida anticipated a move from permanent to temporary residences in Nomad House
Shigeru Ban's contribution to the exhibition is Open House with Condensed Core. The housing model designed for the building material manufacturer LIXIL proposes plumbing water and waste removal into the ceiling rather than the floor to allow for more flexible layouts.
The house also features floor-to-ceiling glazing that open outwards at 90 degrees to save space, and sheet materials that are zipped together.
Yoshino-Sugi Cedar House by Go Hasegawa was commissioned by Airbnb and is designed to host a community centre on its ground floor. It will later be relocated to Yoshino and listed as a holiday home on the online rental platform
A long cedar shingled volume commissioned by Airbnb is designed to host a community centre on its ground floor and traveller accommodation in its gabled roof.
The Yoshino-Sugi Cedar House, designed by Go Hasegawa, will be relocated to the town Yoshino after the exhibition. The rooms in its upper storey will then be listed on Airbnb.
Architect Jun Igarashi teamed up with furniture designer Taiji Fujimori to create Inside-Out/Furniture-Room
Architect Jun Igarashi teamed up with furniture designer Taiji Fujimori to create Inside-Out/Furniture-Room. Designed for toilet manufacturer Toto and window company YKK AP, it features rooms with built-in furniture that branch out from a central hub.
A fridge is located on the outer wall of the house by product designer Fumie Shibata.
Designed for express delivery company Yamato Holdings, House with Refrigerator Access shows how cooled or frozen goods could be delivered even when no one is at home.
A fridge is located on the outer wall of this house by product designer Fumie Shibata, designed for express delivery company Yamato Holdings
Suppose Design Office founders Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida anticipate a move from permanent to temporary residences with their design, called Nomad House.
Designed as a crash pad for workers with a nomadic lifestyle, the structure was created for department store Isetan Mitsukoshi.
Yuko Nagayama's Hiragana-no Spiral House for Panasonic features a spiralling screen for watching films
Films and websites are displayed on a spiralling screen that forms the curving walls of Hiragana-no Spiral House.
Yuko Nagayama designed the residence, which is topped by a cat-shaped weathervane, to operate as a giant device for the electronic company Panasonic.
Think tank Hara Design Institute has used printed construction materials by Toppan Printing to create Woodgrain House, a residence shaped like a giant cedar cube.
One Family Under a Wireless Roof explores how digital devices aids long-distance relationships
VR headsets allow visitors to One Family Under a Wireless Roof to see how digital devices are helping families living apart to communicate.
Designed by Hara Design Institute as promotion for Culture Convenience Club's newly-launched Tone service for smartphones, the experience shows how family members can monitor each other's activities, even when they are physically apart.
Japanese design brand Muji has revealed the prototype for its latest prefab house, which it will test by having a competition winner move in rent-free for two years (+ movie).
Located in the seaside city of Kamakura in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, the ready-constructed dwelling is named the Window House after the assortment of frameless openings that characterise its facade. It is adapted from a 2008 design developed for the brand by architect Kengo Kuma.
In order to test the prototype, the Minimalist retailer is inviting one person – along with their family or chosen flatmates – to live in the home for two years.
In exchange, the residents will be required to provide regular feedback to Muji's researchers and designers about their living experience. The winner will be picked based on an application process.
With two storeys and a total floor area of at least 80 square metres, the house is the largest prefab dwelling so far from Muji.
The company's previous models have included the Vertical House, created to fit into the narrow spaces of Japan's cities, and three different holiday huts by designers Konstantin Grcic, Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa. Kuma also developed another design, the Tree House, for the company in 2009.
The Window House can be configured to the size and orientation of the plot it is being placed on. It comes in sizes ranging from six by seven metres squared to 10 by seven metres squared.
With an exterior modelled after English stone country houses, the dwelling has a pitched roof, white walls and windows on all four sides. The windows are frameless and arranged to emphasise their irregular sizes.
For the competition winner, the house will be fully furnished with items from Muji. Although the competition is open to international entrants, it is a requirement that the winner be fluent in Japanese in order to fulfil their obligations as a test subject.
The Window House will be located 15 minutes' walk from Kamakura Station. The competition closes on August 31, and the winner will be notified in October. They will move into the house in March 2017.
Japanese brand Muji has unveiled its design for a compact nine-square-metre prefabricated house, which will go on sale later this year.
The Muji Hut will be available for purchase in Japan for ¥3,000,000 (£20,989) from August 2017. The minimalist retailer intends the simple cabin to suit a wide variety of locations, describing it as somewhere between a permanent residence and a holiday home.
"It's not as dramatic as owning a house or a vacation home, but it's not as basic as going on a trip," said the brand.
"Put it in the mountains, near the ocean, or in a garden, and it immediately blends in with the surroundings, inviting you to a whole new life."
Made entirely of Japanese wood, the mono-pitched hut includes a nine-square-metre interior and a covered patio, measuring three square metres.
Sliding glass doors, originally designed for a shop, open to the outdoor space. A smaller window is placed on the rear wall to bring in natural light and aid ventilation.
The exterior is clad in wood charred black using the Japanese technique called shou sugi ban, which prolongs the life of the timber, and makes it more resistant to fire, insects and decay.
The house is built on a concrete foundation to protect against ground moisture, ensuring that the structure lasts a long time.
Inside, untreated Japanese cypress plywood lines the walls, and the floor is covered in mortar, offering a simple finish for owners to add their own touches.
"Even in dirt-prone environments, the floor can be used freely like an earthen floor," they said. "Since the floor surface is nice and smooth, cleaning is easy, and flooring or rugs can be laid anywhere to suit your taste."
The Muji Hut's price tag will cover all the materials needed for the construction as well as the costs of the project's contractor. The brand is yet to release a date for sale outside of Japan.
Japanese brand Muji has revealed designs for an autonomous shuttle bus built for all weather conditions, set to hit the roads in three Finnish cities by 2020.
The public shuttle bus, called Gacha, is designed in collaboration with Finnish autonomous driving company Sensible 4. According to Muji, it is the first autonomous bus in the world that is suited to all types of weather.
"Weather plays a critical role in opening the market for autonomous buses or robo-taxis," said the brand. "Currently heavy rain, fog, and snow prevent autonomous vehicles from driving, as the existing technologies are mostly being tested and developed in warm climate conditions."
Sensible 4 tested its technology in arctic conditions, ensuring the vehicle is safe to run without a driver, come rain or shine, even in Finland's harsh winter conditions.
Called Gacha, the bus is designed in collaboration with Finnish autonomous driving company Sensible 4
While Sensible 4 developed the algorithms, artificial intelligence and sensory obstacle detection needed to refine the self-driving technology, Muji provided the design aesthetic that earned it its minimal style reputation.
Wanting the shuttle bus to look "friendly" and inviting, the Japanese retailer's design team have applied a stripped-back, monochrome colour scheme to the bus' curved, cubic exterior, which was designed with no distinct front or back.
A band of LED light encircles the outside of the bus, acting as both the vehicle's headlights and as a communication screen, informing passengers and passers-by of its movements and destination.
Inside, Muji has kept the design simple, with plain navy seating that follows the curved shape of the exterior body. Handrails and seat rests will be much the same as in most public transportation.
The vehicle was designed with no distinct front or back
The aim is to roll out the shuttle bus as soon as 2020, starting with the three Finnish cities of Espoo, Vantaa and Hämeenlinna, following its unveiling in Helsinki in March 2019.
"Muji proposes a pleasant life. This not only covers products for daily life, but also the challenges faced by different communities," said the brand.
"The advanced technology of autonomous driving has potential in the countryside where decreasing birthrates and ageing populations are causing problems in these communities," it continued.
Dezeen has teamed up with Japanese brand Muji to give away 10 travel-size aroma diffusers, which can be packed up and used on the go, in our latest competition.
Muji's Portable Aroma Diffuser is a miniature version of the brand's room devices, which can be carried around to use while travelling, at the gym or in the office.
Muji's Portable Aroma Diffuser is fully mobile
Muji's essential oils – perfumes typically used in aromatherapy – are released from Muji diffusers to provide a freshening scent and calming atmosphere. The portable version is effective up to a range of 50 centimetres.
"Part travel accessory and part personal wellness technology, the diffuser is the perfect gift for anyone looking for the newest gadget on the market," said Muji.
The portable diffuser can be charged by USB
To make the device compatible with being on the move, Muji fitted it with a small fan so that it needs just a few drops of oils, rather than water. Its rechargeable battery can be charged via a laptop with a USB cable, and lasts up to eight hours.
The palm-sized device is completely white, in line with the Japanese retailer's paired-back aesthetic, and features a simple design. It comes as two elements that twist apart to reveal a felt pad inside a disc in middle of the diffuser, where the oil is added.
Once the lid is placed back on, the user then turns it to the left to trigger a light that indicates it is at work. The scent is released for two hours without a USB connection, before the device automatically switches off.
The Portable Aroma Diffuser comes with a black cushioned case accompanied with pockets inside to hold a charging cable and a 10-millilitre essential oil bottle.
Ten winners will each receive a Portable Aroma Diffuser, a transport pouch and a selection of Muji's essential oils.
Founded in 1979, Muji produces a wide range of products featuring a pared-back design and simple branding. In an interview with Dezeen, art director Kenya Hara likened working for the company to "spinning circus plates".
Competition closes 12 December 2018. Ten winners will be selected at random and notified by email, and their names will be published at the top of this page.
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