Japan House London

• Imagine what a piece of architecture could look like for a Poodle, or a Bichon Frise? Well now you can see for yourself in a new virtual tour of the internationally acclaimed Architecture for Dogs exhibition, online for the first time
• The free virtual exhibition showcases designs created by world-class architects and designers, each seeking to capture the quality of the relationship between dogs and their owners, with a different breed in mind
• Online viewers can digitally explore 16 designs from architects such as Asif Khan, Ban Shigeru, Misawa Haruka, Kuma Kengo and Sou Fujimoto, and are able to build the designs themselves with downloadable blueprints available for each of the exhibition’s work
• Launches Tuesday 15 December and will be a permanent online experience here: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/discover/exhibition/architecture-for-dogs-virtual-exhibition-tour

Japan House London launches a free virtual tour of the hit Architecture for Dogs exhibition, showcasing 16 architectural designs specially created by world renowned architects and designers including Asif Khan, Ban Shigeru, Kuma Kengo, Itō Toyō, Sou Fujimoto and Ma Yansong, each made with a different dog breed in mind. This is the first time in the exhibition’s acclaimed global tour that it has been made available online for people to ‘paw’ over in the comfort of their own home.

Powered by 3D technology, the virtual exhibition allows the viewer to step into Japan House London, where the physical exhibition launched in September, and move around the exhibition at their own pace, zooming into each of the architectural designs and discovering more about the designs and their architects via individual pop-up ‘hotspots’ and in-embedded videos created by Yoda Hiroshi in Japan. Links to the Architecture for Dogs website allow visitors to discover more about each piece in detail. Visitors can even design their own architecture for dogs via an in-built submission form and submit their designs to be judged by world-renowned architects and designers, in collaboration with Japan House London.   

Works on display include:

• Canine camouflage – Asif Khan presents I See You ! a camouflage-like haven for black dogs to disappear into. Crafted from felted sheep’s wool, this half carpet, half table creation is designed to spark canine interest via smell. 
• A new home for Snoopy?  – a playful take on the classic doghouse, MVRDV designed a curved gently rocking frame to provide a stimulating environment for the intelligent Beagle breed to enjoy
• Who’s the prettiest of them all? With poodles known for loving their own reflection, Konstantin Grcic has created a fun mirror-led structure for pooches to gaze at themselves 
• Made for little legs - designed by Tokyo-based practice Atelier Bow-Wow for a dachshund, the sloped structure of Architecture for Long-Bodied-Short-Legged Dog allows the short-legged dog to climb the frame with ease, while the piece’s length enables the owner to lie down next to their dog. 

Heidi Isa, Director of Marketing & Communications at Japan House London said, “The virtual version of the Architecture for Dogs exhibition allows us to inspire an even wider audience by opening it up to ‘guests’ from all over the world. The topic of architecture, which this exhibition makes so accessible through the theme of dogs, has just become even easier to explore.”

This family (and pet!) friendly exhibition offers a playful exploration into how it is possible for dogs and their human companions to be at their happiest through interaction with specially designed architectural pieces. Created and directed by Hara Kenya, Nippon Design Center in conjunction with co-founder Imprint, the 2020 European debut of the exhibition saw UK architect Asif Khan specially create a brand-new design entitled I See You !

Blueprints for each design are available for download, allowing guests to step into the minds of some of the world’s most celebrated architects and designers to create their very own four-legged themed work.

The physical exhibition opened for its London debut at Japan House London in September 2020 and will run until 10 January 2021, with the online version joining a series of free virtual experiences now available at www.japanhouselondon.uk.

Architecture for Dogs Virtual exhibition will be displayed permanently online at www.japanhouselondon.uk. 

Content suitable for all ages. 

Images are available to download here. Please note the credits in the title of each image. 

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

 Creating the virtual exhibition

The virtual tour was filmed while the exhibition has been in situ at Japan House London and shot over the course of five hours with each individual panorama shot made up from 40 DSLR shots, making the final 360° panoramic image over 300 mega pixels in size. This has been reduced to enable the exhibition to be viewed easily and quickly online from the comfort of your own home.  

The Architecture for Dogs virtual tour is made possible with the kind support of Japan House London Premier Member, JTI UK.

 

About Architecture for Dogs

Architecture for Dogs was devised by Hara Kenya, President of the Nippon Design Center and Japan House Creative Advisor, together with Imprint Lab / Intertrend. The exhibition first launched at Design Miami in 2012 and has since received global acclaim touring in Japan [Tokyo, Gallery - MA], China [Shanghai, Himalayas Museum] and Brazil [Japan House São Paulo]. The exhibition at Japan House London marks the first time it has been seen in Europe. 

About Japan House London

Japan House London is the cultural centre offering visitors an experience of the best and latest from Japan. Located on London’s Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens our appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are two other Japan Houses in Los Angeles and São Paulo.

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