Teatime at Facet Studio - Toraya とらや

Downside of having international projects... is the traveling between seasons... good that most of the time it is Yoshi doing the flying around, and we benefit from the result - yummy desserts for tea in the office!

Having mentioned Kyoto's Toraya in the last blog entry, I felt it is suitable to start this new series of blog entries on "Teatime at Facet Studio" with the confectionery artists serving the Japan Royal Family since the 16th Century.

Toraya 虎屋 strictly follows the tradition of wagashi (Japanese dessert), in the "Art of the Five Senses" - Appearance, Taste, Texture, Scent, Sound. Every piece of wagashi is a piece of artwork.

What is important to us is, enjoy all aspects of life.... when we enjoy our teatime, we enjoy all aspects of the dessert too.

traditional Toraya packaging

Season Special "Kaze no Kaori"
季節の羊羹　”風の薫”
it was inspired by the summer wind which brings the smell of grass in the sun and the glittering crops in the wind 

Season Special "Hina Goromo"
季節の羊羹　”雛衣”

It was inspired by the beautiful dresses of the ladies in the royal family, each layer is a different flavour

This is a young me looking at a young Yoshi muscling with the jumbo youkan
The Toraya staple: Yoru no Ume 夜の梅

One day at Osaka

Starting from end of May, series of meetings has commenced with Doshisha University at Kyoto to work through the competition scheme.

Our aim is for Doshisha University to host their Christmas Party for 2014 at their new chapel..... argh don't we all love challenges!
Anyhow, Yoshi has been flying between Sydney and Osaka frequently, and I flew over to Osaka for 2 days to work on the scheme and to join the first official meeting with the user committee at beginning of June.

This is how my day went....

Good Morning Osaka!

caught train to go to work at our office at Mukonoso....

Had to get a freshly grilled Taiyaki at Mukonoso station to munch on..
the filling was red bean, it was very nice

This is our office

Time flies when you are having fun!
Soon it was lunch time, and we had super yummy hamburger

Worked some more, and it was time to go to Kyoto

We wanted to have tea at Kyoto's famous Toraya before meeting with Doshisha, but didn't make it in time for last order.
But we managed to spend time in the space designed by Hiroshi Naito (that was the main point anyway) ... very calming and delicate

But of course I need to bring back some Toraya Youkan (sweets for tea) for the Sydney office

Upon arrival at Doshisha, immediately we were served dinner (!)....
Having dinner at a formal meeting (not casual meeting at dinner..), well that was a first!
In case anyone is curious, it tasted as good as it looked but unfortunately we were more focused on the meeting!

Meeting.
I was the only "non-Japanese", one of the only 2 females present at meeting and the youngest attending.... ok it could have been a little strange but I don't think it mattered.

To find out more about the Doshisha Chapel Complex project.... click HERE

(ps. do not doubt yourself..... this is not a food blog..... )

Ryoji Ikeda's Test Pattern [No 5]

It is on at Carriageworks, Eveleigh until July 1st!
There is still time!

How to explain the experience of being together with Ryoji Ikeda's work?
I would say it reminded me of the experience of early morning meditation at Kyoto's temple when I went for Zen training a few years ago.
This was probably the closest experience to Zen outside the context of the temple.

Overpowering sound and light concluded the world into "self" and "everything else".
Simple, yet powerful.

  

 

 

Face Value

Interesting coverage by Indesign magazine Issue 53....

We were seated alongside other designers for a photoshoot, I mean, us (humans) rather than our projects (architecture).
These days, images of designers are becoming more and more important, designers (as humans) need to be more recognisable.  Every project we take on are journeys of faith between the designers and the clients, being recognisable sometimes provide clients with more confidence...
Before we proceed onto the projects, we often found that we need to find common ground with clients in our values, thinkings, morales and philosophies.. i.e. as humans, as "comrades"in the project.

Anyhow, it was certainly an interesting experience to be covered by press as humans!

from left to right: Chris Hardy, Alex Ritchie, Olivia Shih (me) (Facet Studio) and Yoshihito Kashiwagi (Facet Studio)

close up of the right page...

Cover of Indesign Issue 53

Parallel Nippon / Parallel Connections

On Saturday April 13th, Yoshi has participated in Parallel Connections - a panel discussion as part of the Parallel Nippon Exhibition.

 

On Saturday, the hour-long panel discussion was taking place between the 4 panelists:
Andrew Burns, Koichi Takada, Yoshihito Kashiwagi and Peter Stutchbury.
The hour felt short.
I guess there are many topics left unexplored due to time restriction, such as role of "nature" in architectural design, and its difference between cultures, which I am always personally keen about.
It is such a rare chance though, for the wider community to have exposure to these kind of architectural discussions.

At panel discussion: from left
Andrew Burns, Koichi Takada, Yoshihito Kashiwagi, Peter Stutchbury

Full house at Parallel Connections when waiting for start

After the panel discussion... say "cheese!" guys!

Here is an extract from the official website on what is Parallel Nippon:

Parallel Nippon contains 100+ large-scale photo panels of landmark designs, architectural models and video footage. The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections: Urban, Life, Culture and Living, a cross-sectional view of Japanese society. These areas represent the revolutionary, innovative and progressive architectural achievements realised not only in Japan but across the world as projects of Japanese architects. Due to the large scale of the exhibition, it will be divided and presented into two parts.

With a specific focus on the decade of 1996 – 2006, Parallel Nippon is a collection of creative architectural solutions that reflect the social and cultural context of contemporary Japan. During the mid-1990s, Japan faced an economic recession. There was an escalation in urban migration, birth-rate was on the decline and an aging population was on the rise, transforming the standard family structure. This period became commonly known as Japan’s transition from the ‘bubble’ to ‘post bubble’ period. Faced with the rapidly changing landscape, a new generation of architects were forced to re-evaluate their approach to design from an ‘expanding city’ model to a ‘continuous city’ outlook. Their quest led to radical results and creative possibilities for the new era and beyond.

The exhibition has been travelling internationally; it will travel to other parts of Australia later this year.

Parallel Nippon Exhibition is on at Japan Foundation Gallery, L1 Chifley Plaza, until May 1st.

To find out more, please enter HERE.

Arty Sydney - Anish Kapoor Exhibition

Anish Kapoor exhibition is closing April 1st!
Have you been?
You must!

The exhibition is part of the Sydney International Art Series, an initiative that brings the world's most outstanding exhibitions to Sydney supported by the NSW Government through Destination NSW.

I am so glad that I was able to catch the exhibition in time.
There are such extremity in his work that creates incomparable tension and power, and with perfect execution the experience of being with his work is amazing.
Simply amazing.

Here are some works I took photos of... but you know, there really are worlds which can not be recorded with photographs.

SKY MIRROR
In the drizzling rain it takes on a different look to that of its normal image... taking in a piece of the sky on to our earthly realm.

MY RED HOMELAND
The sight of it sent cold chill down my spine.  It is a 12m diameter circle of 25tons paraffin wax in bright red colour, its texture similar to that of flesh.  The savageness in the rotating blade's slow motion cuts repeatedly into the sculpture, as if to cut open a wound so it would never heal...

Distorted self and surrounding motion with this huge dish made of hundreds of brilliant mirror pieces

S-CURVE
Our perception of the world is largely determined by what we can see - apparently 90% of information comes to us through our eyes.  So our perception of the world becomes unnervingly wide when we see things we are not supposedly able to see in the reflection...knowing more is not always comforting.

S-CURVE
Where the mirror concave and convex curves meet.
The reflections merge into a point, everything seemed to come out from that point or disappear into that point, as if it is an imaginary blackhole.
Our everyday becomes his work of art.

WHEN I AM PREGNANT
The white wall forms a soft sensuous lump, as if it is part of a living creature.
This kind of softness is so extreme yet completely at one with the rest of Kapoor's work... must be magic.

SKY MIRROR (REAR)
I found myself looking at myself, from a Godly perspective.
it is unnerving, but comforting... by knowing your own anonymity there is a sense of comfort I guess.... 

Art where least expected

It is a funny feeling when a project goes into construction.
All the things in our head starting to take shape in the physical world, ah the joy of creation...
Here we have just started roughing in the services for Blu Creativity, like an Entree served before the Main course.
After a 3 months design period, I am finding emotional attachment to the construction site, that everything started to look beautiful to me.

copper parts the plumbers use to connect pipe works
(entirely different medium, but the scattered composition and materiality kind of reminded me of Jasper Johns and Rosalyn Gascoigne....) 

rolls of cables electricians use to provide power, like single line drawings on the floor

electrician bringing in power through existing overhead tracks

plumbers and pipes...
(a bit of compositional influence from Jeffrey Smart)

A bit more on other projects....

Rounding up some recent publications....

Hospitality:

Powerful imagery of Uchi Lounge has a strong presence in WORKshop issue 08.

Nice to read in the blog of our structural engineer for Uchi Lounge: "...It is interesting how tight budgets and great architects drive great engineering."

I guess true creativity spark when being confined by restrictions...

 Cover of WORKshop issue 08

Watermoon is published by Chinese publishing house Sandu (available via PageOne) in "Taste It! - Innovative Restaurant Interiors".

It is also published by German publishing house Gestalten in "Let's Go Out! - Interiors and Architecture for Restaurants and Bars".

Watermoon was completed in 2010 May.

In the retail / hospitality world, where fitouts require constant renewal, Watermoon is considered an "old project".  Yet it continues to be picked up by publishing houses and gathering attention.  I think this says something about our consistent attitude towards architecture (permanence) and interior (transience).

Cover of "Taste it!"

Cover of "Let's Go Out!"

Retail:

Sneakerology and Streetology continue to gather attention after their completion in 2010 / 2011.  The design took place in 2009.

Again, they should be considered "old projects"....but still looking refreshing and stunning (hopefully I am allowed to say that myself...).

We consider longevity of design = ultimate sustainability 

"Brand Spaces - Branded Architecture and the Future of Retail Design" published by Gestalten (Germany)

  

  

Retail Design International Vol 74 No 5 (US)

Doshisha announced competition result ...in English at last!

Finally!
After 6 weeks, the competition result is now announced in English!

Have a look of what Yoshi's presentation was about (briefly), and check out the other shortlisted projects HERE.

....familier face on the bottom left corner.....

Dinner with the powerfuls

We were invited to dinner by our client, who is visiting Sydney from overseas for the month.
Considering that Chinese New Year has just past, I thought it would be a slightly more formal dinner, but not so extravagant..... until we have arrived at the restaurant, which was surrounded by these bodyguards wearing earphones, looking like they have just stepped out of the Hollywood movies.

So the special guest of the night was......Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, together with many Ministers and members of the Parliament..... celebrating Chinese New Year.....
It is evident that the Chinese community holds a strong position here in Australia.

 Prime Minister of Australia - Julia Gillard

Australia also holds a special position in Asia - being so close geographically (still part of Asia Pacific), yet culturally very different.  This creates an interesting tension, and in a way enriches the cultural cross-fertilisation.

We somehow benefitted from this tension; having offices in both Australia and Japan enabled us to stay in a objective position when designing, rather than robbed into preconceptions formed by unintentional habits when being "overly comfortable" at one place.

Anyhow.  After the initial shock, we proceeded onto a pleasant and delicious dinner party.
It was a very interesting and special experience.

from left to right:
Maki from our office (as Yoshi is overseas), Olivia (me), David (client)