Torafu Architects / 10

The Japanese practice Torafu Architects presents a Panasonic installation that combines nature and technology at Milan University.

During the Milan Design Week, the Japanese practice Torafu Architects presents Sliding Nature, a Panasonic installation that combines nature and technology at Milan University.

Shinya Kamuro and Koichi Suzuno have designed a Panasonic-produced structure, in the centre of the Cortile della Farmacia of Milan University, that references the essential lines of a traditional Japanese house, bounded by large sliding doors.

Playing on the contrast between the model of mediaeval European architecture that are the university cloisters and the archetypal forms of the Japanese home, Torafu Architects adopted a banal interior architectural feature – sliding doors – and successfully created an installation with a strong theatrical impact.

The doors slide horizontally away from the support structure, allowing the house to open up its internal space, welcome visitors and establish a dynamic dialogue with the surrounding environment.