In comparison to the lively buzz of Tokyo, town of Kyoto nonetheless operates at a satisfyingly measured hum, holding a lot more than a veneer of the rustic’s deep seated traditions, crafts, and historical past. This can be a town the place heritage nonetheless survives regardless of the encroachment of recent conveniences and applied sciences, and the place the historical past of many companies will also be measured in a long time…or much more than a century.
MAKHNO Studio, a Ukrainian studio devoted to fresh Ukrainian structure, inner design, and ceramics, was once tasked to thoughtfully replace a bit of a century-old area in Kyoto in recognize to this enduring spirit of historical Eastern tradition – to scrupulously upload “a drop of Ukrainian colour to the Eastern context.”
Owned by way of a circle of relatives with youngsters, the century-old KYOTO HOUSE nonetheless wears a discernible level of its conventional heritage as exhibited by way of the rooms’ textured clay wall surfaces, unique tatami mats, shoji monitors, and a ground plan optimized for furniture positioned nearer to the bottom. The circle of relatives makes use of this segment of the house to degree conventional tea ceremonies and accommodate for in a single day visitors. The problem introduced to MAKHNO Studio was once discovering the gentlest trail towards recovery, using most effective touches of modernity with a conscientious care to deal with its historical atmosphere.
A couple of Wassily Chairs by way of Marcel Breuer for Knoll on paper might appear incongruous with the standard Eastern components, however positioned thoughtfully as visible bookends, the seamless tubular body and black leather-based blends pleasantly into its presented environment.
The inner is characterised by way of its “shoin-zukuri” or “find out about taste” detailing with origins spanning again to the dwellings of Zen clergymen and samurai of the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries, an architectural modus vivendi known by way of rooms incorporating rice paper walls and shoji sliding doorways.
New components of Ukrainian aesthetics had been presented to interaction with the unique components, together with Ukrainian zoomorphic ceramics, plates, and earthenware by way of MAKNO Studio’s personal Slavko Odarchenko, art work by way of artist Oleksandr Babak, in addition to conventional and fashionable Eastern graphics. The additions are refined, with the sum of its impact upon the whole thing of the distance speaking the house operates now not as a museum, however as a usable house conscious of the current.
The waves of time left lines on [the home], making it distinctive. Due to this fact, when reconstructing it, it was once essential to not spoil those emotions, however quite to refine and reinforce them by way of including a drop of Ukrainian colour to the Eastern context.
A minimalist ikebana association of seasonal crops is positioned as an embodiment of the foundations of wabi and sabi: an appreciation of the wonder inherent within the transience of time.
A “roji,” or small tea lawn, welcomes visitors with poetic landscaping embellished with Eastern ritual stones and Ukrainian DIDO artwork sculptures from the MAKHNO workshop. The small items are positioned as protecting totems, shielding occupants from dangerous vibes and undesirable visitors.
The KYOTO HOUSE embodies the harmonious convergence of 2 distinct cultures, inviting people to immerse themselves within the serene simplicity of savoring tea, connecting with our senses, and in appreciation of Eastern heritage. Or as succinctly said by way of MAKHNO Studio’s founder, Serhii Makhno: “It is a house for tea and lifestyles.”
Images by way of Naoki Miyashita.
