‘fragile shelter’ by hidemi nishida, sapporo, japan images courtesy of hidemi nishida

 

 

japanese artist and designer hidemi nishida has completed ‘fragile shelter’, a temporary winter structure located deep in the forest in sapporo, japan. modest and gentle, the building looks to bring people together in an empathetic and unlikely space which will leave no evidence of its existence once it’s been dismantled.

six identical but slightly offset forms hug the landscape, shifting up and down to mirror the undulations of the earth. elevated in the air, the meandering form is a direct response of the drastic weather conditions, its pitched and overextended roof designed to protect the transient inhabitants, its body purposefully hovering above the average snow line.

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter the static volumes, shifting and offset, appear to be in constant movement

 

 

translucent plastic sheets enclose the unit, faintly exposing the timber structure which composes and defines each individual volume. glowing from within like a lantern, the ethereal and unimposing shelter seems to be in constant flux – its color and permeability altered by the weather and time of day.

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter entrance

 

 

warm wood and a small heater transform the interior environment, its small and compact space in constant contact with the natural surroundings. the stepped floor, a direct reflection of the exterior form, acts as natural seating that accommodate the influx of visitors.

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter entrance

 

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter interior at night

 

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter interior during the day

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter the stepped platforms act as seats

 

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter overall structure at night

 

 

 

hidemi nishida: fragile shelter side and front elevation

 

 

 

WINTER HOUSE_Fragile Shelter Project from Hidemi Nishida on Vimeo.