The Japanese House
We might be a little late to the party, as The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945 has been open at the Barbican since March, but we finally got the chance to visit this week and it was well worth the wait. The exhibition focus's on post-war architecture in Japan, marking some of the most exciting architectural projects which have happened in Japan over the last 70 years.
As well as taking a broad view of Japanese architecture, the exhibition also presented a surprisingly intimate view of life and culture in Japan. The Moriyama House, which was originally designed in Tokyo by Ryue Nishizawa, is recreated in full with 10 interweaving rooms spread throughout the exhibition. Each of these rooms are furnished with a plethora of domestic objects and plant life, giving the exhibition a fantastic sense of life. Giving prominence to these mundane objects worked well in contrast to the grand architectural projects showcased elsewhere in the exhibition.
As well as the full-size recreation of the Moriyama House, the exhibition also features a fantastical and lovingly crafted Japanese teahouse and garden designed by Terunobu Fujimori (pictured above).
The Japanese House was thoroughly enjoyable to visit, and has plenty to offer for fans of culture, archetecture and design. The exhibition runs until the 25th June 2017, and more information can be found at: www.barbican.org.uk