The Sea Library in Awashima, Japan by ETAT Japan | Yellowtrace.

The Sea Library in Awashima, Japan by ETAT Japan | Yellowtrace.

The Sea Library in Awashima, Japan by ETAT Japan | Yellowtrace.

The Sea Library in Awashima, Japan by ETAT Japan | Yellowtrace.

 

What do you get when you mix Scandinavian design with a Japanese aesthetic? A symphony of beauty, simplicity and extraordinary detailing. In other words – every designer’s wet dream! Stockholm-based Erik Törnkvist and Malin Belfrage of ETAT Architects have designed this little library dedicated to the sea. The space is located inside a 1920s schoolhouse on Awashima Island in the Seto Inland Sea. The Library is part of the Setouchi Triennale 2013 – it is a place where visitors are invited to donate books about the history and stories of the ocean.

 

The Sea Library in Awashima, Japan by ETAT Japan | Yellowtrace.

The Sea Library in Awashima, Japan by ETAT Japan | Yellowtrace.

 

ETAT’s refurbishment is designed to highlight the material and spatial qualities of the existing timber building and to enhance it’s relationship to the sea. The architects have used brass as a predominant material for the new insertions, from fittings, to wall surfaces and the central 3.6 m square reading table. Gentle ripple across the reflective brass surface the table creates wavy reflection reminiscent of water. So simple, and super beautiful.

 


[Images courtesy of ETAT Architects, via Dezeen.]



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3 Responses

  1. Ali Ross

    There is a beautiful balance between the architectural symmetry and the movement in the reflective brass surfaces. It’s really beautiful. As an interior designer who has lived in both Denmark and Japan (and happened to have spent time on Awashima Island) I have always felt such an appreciation for the similarities between Scandinavian and japanese design.

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