‘Architecture for Dogs’ to showcase pet-scaled designs at Japan House London

Architecture for Dogs - an internationally acclaimed exhibition - will be displaying architectural designs for different dog breeds at Japan House in London from September 19, 2020. For its first European destination, the 18-week exhibition will offer a physical and virtual experience to its guests, while maintaining pandemic-related protocol. The free exhibition would feature designs from architects such as Kengo Kuma, Ma Yansong, Ban Shigeru, Sou Fujimoto and Itō Toyō.

The exhibition celebrates the joyous bond between canines and their people and shares this emotion with guests by allowing them to design and build architecture for their furry companions. Pieces from the collection are simple to construct - an open-source network with blueprints, diagrams and videos empower guests from across the world to fabricate these designs in their homes.

Kenya Hara, Chief Creative Director for the Japan House project and creator of Architecture for Dogs, shares, “While the architecture is ‘for dogs’, each of the contributors taking part in this unique project is a first-class, world-renowned architect”.

The specially crafted pieces consider the diversity in the species of the end-user, designed for the different needs of each dog breed including the Beagle, Bichon Frise, Shiba Inu, Boston Terrier and Poodle. Through the exhibition, Architecture for Dogs re-examines dogs and human beings through the lens of their shared environment and history. Each of the works captures a “light-hearted and insightful exploration” into architecture and design that both dogs and their human companions can enjoy together.

Apart from the collection of designs by renowned architects, dogs and their people can explore a variety of exhibits, devised for the four-legged creatures to interact with, including a roadshow of several designs under consideration.

Architecture For Long-Bodied Short-Legged Dogs, designed by the Tokyo-based practice Atelier Bow-Wow is one such interactive experience catered to smaller dog breeds. MVRDV introduces a playful take on the dog house with A new home for Snoopy?, a stimulating environment for the intelligent Beagle breed. A mirror-led edifice for Poodles that love their own reflection has been created by Konstantin Grcic, and a Bichon-Frise inspired piece by Sejima Kazuyo features a furry hideaway where dog and architecture blend into one.

The collection of 16 designs includes work by the founder himself, Hara Kenya. Japan House will soon be announcing a distinguished UK architect, commissioned to create a new design as the 16th piece in the collection. The shop at Japan House London will also be featuring a range of canine-related items from Japan.

Architecture for Dogs was devised by Hara Kenya, who is also the President of the Nippon Design Center, along with co-founder Imprint. Debuting in Europe this September, the exhibition has received global acclaim since its first launch at Design Miami in 2012 and has since travelled to Japan, China and Brazil.

In a world that is moving towards ecological balance, Architecture for Dogs leaps into the vision of inclusive architecture - using design as a tool for co-existence in a predominantly man-made environment.

(Text by Ankitha Gattupalli, intern at stirworld.com)