Garden Office Blog

Tokyo’s Llove Exhibition Embraces Nature

By Francesca McGlone on 29th October, 2010

The Llove Exhibition in Tokyo consists of eight different guest rooms. Each room is individually designed, producing a different feel and approach to sleep. The notion of love is also incorporated into the rooms, resulting in a variation on a theme. The option to book into a room for the night is also available, until the 23rd of November, so that the essence of any given room can be experienced fully as a sleeping environment.

All of the rooms are striking, from mattresses that climb up the wall to chairs that meld together, the rooms offer a surreal mix of ideas. An unusual but appealing room, designed by Yuko Nagayma is called ‘Buried’, for the very reason that its contents, including a bath and trees are sunken into a sea of white pebbles that cover the floor as a make-shift carpet. The bed however remains a serenely afloat on the surface.

The element of love could be interpreted in a number of ways, one being that the pebbles symbolise enveloping emotions, while the presence of trees, the natural affinity that occurs between two people. The presence of two lush green trees creates an injection of tranquillity that presents nature’s sedative qualities. Just gazing at the room induces a peaceful state of mind.

The pebbles swap soft carpets underfoot for a bumpy hard surface, similar to a beach or a river bed. Pebbles are often associated with water, which instantly soothes. The feel of pebbles works to simulate the raw elements that exist outside, where the senses are caressed, which is again, suggestive of love.

The trees, together with light that shines upward from their base creates shadows which are cast upon the walls and ceiling, creating a further flourish of natural shapes that simultaneously create patterned wallpaper. Further lights are buried beneath the pebbles, so that the stones shapes, shades and arrangement are illuminated that almost acts as light reflective water that gleans through the spaces, much like an ocean tide that meets a beach.

Trees buried in pebbles mimic the way soil surrounds a tree trunk. The trees become rooted in the bedroom, becoming a natural feature that can be used for hangers, as an alternative solution to a wardrobe that is seamlessly integrated into a space.

Having pebbles that bury the room almost displays a landslide or flood occurrence, where a restful environment has assumed the aftermath of a natural upheaval. This could demonstrate how nature can recover quickly, as trauma is replaced by a something new.

Nagayma’s room plays on our natural instincts, as the therapeutic properties of nature are showcased as a haven that restores energy and dissipates stress.

 


Category:  Architecture and Design

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