New Japanese window exhibition
New Architectural Views from Japan is a multidisciplinary free exhibition which looks at the ways in which windows frame our vision to give us unique perspectives on the world.
New Architectural Views from Japan exhibition at Japan House London from April 16 to June 28.
Acting as a dividing space, letting in light and keeping in heat, the exhibition explores the significance of windows beyond their primary architectural function to consider the impact they have on each of us, every day.
Unlike houses made of bricks and mortar, Japanese architecture has traditionally made use of pillars and beams to create structures which allow for flexible, movable spaces in which windows and openings can be created at will by the sliding of a screen. In a single day, the space within a Japanese building may be dramatically altered; an opening may be created to reveal hidden gardens, or spaces may be separated to create new rooms. This makes the concept of windows in Japanese architecture fundamentally different from that of other cultural styles.
The exhibition, produced by the Window Research Institute under the direction of architectural historian and critic Igarashi Taro, also explores how windows can be associated with specific cultures; how the ‘dreh-kipp’ windows originating in Germany tilt, while ‘French windows’ open from the middle and Japanese windows may slide horizontally.
The exhibition runs from April 16 to June 28 at Japan House in London.
