The Archive a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

I have another inspiring exhibition from Stockholm Design Week to share with you today, this time from Japanese brand Ariake. Each year it teams up with like-minded companies to take over a historic location somewhere in the city, and its previous efforts A Quiet Reflection and The Phoenix Palace were highlights of Design Weeks 2018 and 2019. Its 2020 installation, The Archive, proved to be no exception.

Curated by Hanna Nova Beatrice and styled by Annaleena Leino, it washeld in conjunction withJapanese ceramics studio 2016/Arita and Danish design houses Friends & Founders and LE KLINT. The setting wasGamla Riksarkivet Swedens former national archive building, designed by architect Axel Fredrik Nystrm in 1890 and located in the heart of the old town, Gamla Stan. Its rarely open to the public and so I felt very lucky to get a glimpse of its beautiful period features, which include wrought-iron staircases and balconies, soaring etched-glass windows, and a strange spiral delivery slide that twists down between floors.

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The ornate architecture and slightly faded charm of the place provided the perfect backdrop for the minimalist pieces on display, all of which highlighted the many synergies between Japanese and Scandinavian design. Ive talked before about the two traditions shared values their joint focus on high-quality craftsmanship, their considered and functional approach, their lack of unnecessary details and its perhaps no surprise that more and more projects combining Japanese and Scandinavian influences are springing up. But its particularly encouraging to see ones such as this, which fully respect each regions heritage and which involve proper contributions from both sides, rather than just paying lip service or trying to cash in on a trend.

From Ariake itself a collaboration between Japanese furniture factoriesLegnatec and Hirata Chair and a range of international designers came understated tables, seating, shelving units and cabinets. All were made from natural materials such as white oak, ash, paper cord and burnt cedar, and incorporated elements inspired by Japanese spirituality, urban living or architecture. As well as old favourites such as the Braid sofa, I spotted a numberof brand-new pieces for 2020, including Rui Alves Kata coat stand, Gabriel Tans Rin sofa and Note Design Studios Sake side tables, which have removable lids revealing hidden storage. And there were two just-launched designs from Norm Architects: the Summit lounge chair, which is an homage to classic Scandinavian cabinetmaker chairs, and the Lattice table, whose wooden-lattice legs take their cue from traditional Japanese shutters and play with light and shadow.

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

Ariakes pieces were complemented perfectly by sleek designs from Friends & Founders, which was set up in 2013 by Ida Linea and Rasmus Hildebrand and which Ive featured a few times before. Its collection is inspired by art and architecture and has a graphic quality to it, with lots of strong lines and striking geometric shapes. My favourites were the marble-based Knockout tables, the Stand Out coat stand, the arched Arc floor mirrors and thecurvaceous La Pipe chairs with their tactile upholstery. I also loved the way a pair of monochrome Novel chairs first launched at the Stockholm Furniture Fair last year had been positioned in front of an olive-green shelving unit stacked with minimalist white ceramics, creating a stunning display.

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The various rooms of the exhibition were illuminated by Friends & Founders elegant La Lampe series, as well as beautiful lighting from LE KLINT. Inspired by a folded paper shade crafted for a paraffin lamp by architect P.V. Jensen-Klint in 1901,its hand-pleated designs have been produced since 1943 and are now Danish icons.Its range encompasses everything from direct descendants of the original to more contemporary interpretations such as the ARC and SWILLER series, and many were created by other members of the Klint family. My eye was particularly drawn to the CACH lamps, whose steel cloches reveal a glimpse of LE KLINT folds poking out from beneath, and the CALEO family, which features bronze stringing to emphasise the intricate patterns. I was also fascinated by a video demonstrating the pleating process, which takes place at the companys studio in Odense and requires three years of training as an apprentice.

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

As for the ceramics from 2016/Arita, I loved them all. Established to revive and preserve the specialist pottery skills of the Japanese town of Arita, and now distributed in Europe by Skagerak, the company works with designers from all over the world to create beautiful collections that blend the traditional and contemporary. Examples on display included the white and azure-blue pieces of Netherlands-based Studio Week Somers, which combine classic Arita colours with modern spraying techniques, and the softly air-brushed vessels from Swiss duo Kueng Caputo. If I had to pick just one range to own, though, it would be Dutch ceramicist Kirstie van Noorts minimalist tableware, decorated with simple shapes in earthy browns and terracottas. It was artfully displayed on one of Ariakes shelving units and it caught my attention instantly.

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

The Archive - a showcase of Japanese & Scandinavian design | These Four Walls blog

So, another highly successful exhibition from Ariake and partners. I cant wait to see what it has in store for Design Week 2021!

All photography by Abi Dare

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