Time Travel at Downtown Design Week 2024 with The Warp

Mitsubishi Jisho Design Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) architects Kei Atsumi and Motoya Lizawa, along with Mitsubishi Jisho Design Asia Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) architect Vibha Krishna Kumar, designed The Warp , a pavilion that will be exhibited during Dubai Design Week 2024. The structure combines ancient Japanese carpentry techniques with 3D-printing technology, creating a seamless blend of tradition and innovation.

As described by Kei Atsumi, the pavilion is a 32-square-meter space comprising of a tea house and a Japanese garden. Visitors enter the tea house through the nijiriguchi, a traditionally small, low entrance meant to create a psychological separation between the outside world and the serene. Enclosed by a wooden room with organic, winding curves, the tea space is intimate and evokes a leap through space and time. Visitors can experience the traditional Japanese style as they walk through the garden in front of the pavilion. This experience allows visitors to explore Japan’s cultural legacy while also immersing themselves in Dubai’s innovative spirit.

The display consists of 900 3D-printed panels with various shapes that repurpose sawdust, a by-product from wood manufacturing. By recycling sawdust into raw materials, the process has a circular and sustainable approach to wood use. Using traditional Japanese joinery techniques, the panels can be easily assembled on-site without the need for nails or metal fittings, making the pavilion’s architecture suitable for reassembly in multiple locations.

“The Warp is more than just a pavilion; it is a statement about the future of architecture and design. By blending ancient carpentry with modern 3D printing, we have created a new language of architectural expression. The pavilion demonstrates that technology can breathe new life into age-old traditions, offering a vision of a future where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand,” notes Kei Astumi.

Catch The Warp at Dubai Design Week 2024 from 6–10 November. The tea ceremony schedule with the tea master is as follows:

• 5 November, 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM: Opening with tea ceremony
• 8 November, 2:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Tea ceremony
• 9 November, 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM: Tea ceremony

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