Trend Spotter — March 11, 2006 — Art & Design
References: sushilog.blog7.fc2
You think you're hip in your NYC loft, but you're not.
From Sushilog:
Most people, in choosing a new home, look for comfort: a serene atmosphere, smooth walls and floors, a logical layout. Nonsense, says Shusaku Arakawa, a Japanese artist based in New York. He and his creative partner, poet Madeline Gins, recently unveiled a small apartment complex in the Tokyo suburb of Mitaka that is anything but comfortable and calming. "People, particularly old people, shouldn't relax and sit back to help them decline," he insists. "They should be in an environment that stimulates their senses and invigorates their lives."
With that in mind, Arakawa and Gins designed a building of nine apartments known as Reversible Destiny Lofts. Painted in eye-catching blue, pink, red, yellow and other bright colors, the building resembles the indoor playgrounds that attract toddlers at fast-food restaurants. Inside, each apartment features a dining room with a grainy, surfaced floor that slopes erratically, a sunken kitchen and a study with a concave floor. Electric switches are located in unexpected places on the walls so you have to feel around for the right one. A glass door to the veranda is so small you have to bend to crawl out. You constantly lose balance and gather yourself up, grab onto a column and occasionally trip and fall.
From Sushilog:
Most people, in choosing a new home, look for comfort: a serene atmosphere, smooth walls and floors, a logical layout. Nonsense, says Shusaku Arakawa, a Japanese artist based in New York. He and his creative partner, poet Madeline Gins, recently unveiled a small apartment complex in the Tokyo suburb of Mitaka that is anything but comfortable and calming. "People, particularly old people, shouldn't relax and sit back to help them decline," he insists. "They should be in an environment that stimulates their senses and invigorates their lives."
With that in mind, Arakawa and Gins designed a building of nine apartments known as Reversible Destiny Lofts. Painted in eye-catching blue, pink, red, yellow and other bright colors, the building resembles the indoor playgrounds that attract toddlers at fast-food restaurants. Inside, each apartment features a dining room with a grainy, surfaced floor that slopes erratically, a sunken kitchen and a study with a concave floor. Electric switches are located in unexpected places on the walls so you have to feel around for the right one. A glass door to the veranda is so small you have to bend to crawl out. You constantly lose balance and gather yourself up, grab onto a column and occasionally trip and fall.
Trend Themes
1. Stimulating Living Spaces - Designing living spaces that intentionally stimulate the senses and invigorate lives, challenging traditional comfort norms.
2. Playful Architecture - Creating architectural designs that resemble playful and colorful indoor playgrounds to enhance the living experience.
3. Unconventional Interior Design - Incorporating unconventional elements into interior design, such as sloped and concave floors, to create unique and dynamic living environments.
Industry Implications
1. Real Estate - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing unconventional and stimulating living spaces that cater to individuals seeking unique and vibrant living experiences.
2. Interior Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Challenging traditional interior design norms by incorporating unconventional elements and layouts that disrupt the notion of comfort.
3. Architecture - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing buildings that prioritize playfulness and sensory stimulation, creating a new paradigm for architectural aesthetics.
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