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Metamorphosis in the Forest

  • Prize
    Winner in Architectural Design Private House
  • Company/Firm
    KOTOAKI ASANO Architect
  • Lead Designer
    Kotoaki Asano
  • Architect
    Kotoaki Asano
  • Interior Designer
    Kotoaki Asano
  • Location
    Nagakura, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano,Japan
  • Project Date
    July, 2016

“Metamorphosis in the Forest“ consists of “Gradation in the Forest” and “Three Cubes in the Forest”. The theme of this project is that spaces penetrates deeply into the forest.
“Gradation in the Forest“ is made as a collection of small spaces. So, the house might melt into the environment of the woods.
Playground equipment for children, public furniture, art objects, meditation rooms, small rest spaces, waiting rooms. “Three Cubes in the Forest“ are the micro-architectures with the various characteristics and functions. Three Cubes can be easily transported by a truck and can be installed.
“Gradation in the Forest“ is a house in a forest of a summer resort. The houses stand calmly in the forest. This house is made as a collection of small spaces. Various spaces were prepared in order to make living environment rich.
A gradual change of the quality of spaces was made, like the picture of "Metamorphosis" of M.C. Escher. In this house, the spaces with various characteristics exist as the process of ambiguous boundaries and continuous changes. Many spaces have kept the variegated characteristics of each space. And, many spaces smoothly sewn on so that the boundaries may be blot out.

Bio
I am an architect, an artist, a designer and a poet.
The spaces designed by me include many implications by poetic sensitivity. I would like to show everybody the new vision of the world clearly and sensuously.
Human activity takes place on the very thin surface of a large sphere. I am working on the concept of designing the skin of the Earth.
1997, Architecture(school of engineering), Master, the University of Tokyo, JAPAN.
2005-, KOTOAKI ASANO Architect & Associates, JAPAN.
2015, "KOBE Biennale 2015", JAPAN.
2017, "KAMEYAMA Triennale 2017", JAPAN.
2019, "NAKANOJO Biennale 2019", JAPAN.

Other prizes
2013, Architectural Institute of Japan Rookie of the year Awards, JAPAN. 2017, iF DESIGN AWARD, GERMANY. 2017, DFA Design for Asia Awards 2017 Silver Award, HONG KONG. 2017, GOOD DESIGN AWARDS, CHICAGO ATHENAEUM/USA. 2018, Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018. 2018, International Design Excellence Awards 2018 Bronze, USA. 2019, ICONIC AWARDS 2019 Winner, German Design Council. 2019, Architecture MasterPrize 2019 Winner, USA. 2020, German Design Award 2020 Winner.