New design works by Junya Ishigami, a super-established star of the new generation of contemporary architecture, are being showcased by the Maniera gallery in Brussels. These designs include interiors he crafted for two recent projects: the Noël restaurant (and house) and the Zama house for his mother, both located in Japan and initiated in 2013, now nearing completion.

These projects address and interpret the themes of nature, vegetation, and soil emphasizing vertical elements and spatial flow. The restaurant, in particular, presents a daring concept – an artificial cave-like enclosure for living and inhabiting. Ishigami describes it as an “architecture that feels as heavy as possible, and that acquires a patina over time, something that embraces the roughness of nature.”

A fresh series of mobile furniture pieces is on display, comprising dining and rocking chairs, a Zaisu low chair, an atelier table, a dining table, two partitions, and seven lamps. Made of materials such as leather, woven rattan, curved wood, and machined glass surfaces, these pieces embody a lightness and fragility that align with the architect’s theoretical approach, especially in their interaction with the human body.

Junya Ishigami

Maniera is a Belgian gallery founded and run by Kwinten Lavigne and Amaryllis Jacobs. Since 2004, they have been collaborating with architects, artists and designers to create objects that bridge the gap between the visual arts and spatial environments. The exhibition of Ishigami’s furniture and lamps, first presented by Alcova at Milan Design Week 2024, will continue at Maniera in Brussels until the end of August 2024.