ryue nishizawa + nendo collaborate on small pavilion in kyoto

born from a creative collaboration between architect ryue nishizawa and design office nendo, the small ‘roof and mushrooms’ pavilion overlooks the campus of kyoto university of art and design. a single, undulating roof contours down a steep hill along kyoto’s eastern edge, moderately inclined to mirror the angle of the site. dipping beneath its far-reaching wooden dimensions, visitors realize that the overhead panel also translates into a wall at its base. maintaining his trademark aesthetic of luminous and ethereal architecture, nishizawa’s scheme for the pavilion creates a spatial experience that is intended to remind visitors of walking in the mountains, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior space.

all photos by daici ano

situated beneath the shady space of the wooden structure, clinging to the sloping hillside are mushroom-like stools designed by nendo. clustered at the base of wooden pillars and hidden in the nooks of stone walls and staircases, their organization evokes the way that mushrooms grow in their natural environment. each piece of fungi furniture was handmade by artisans, perpetuating the organic effect with their varying size and shape. considering the lush vegetation of the locale, the architectural and functional elements seamlessly integrate into their surroundings.

the roof contours down a steep hill, moderately inclined to mirror the angle of the site

the open architectural space blurs the boundary between interior and exterior

the small pavilion, cascading down the hillside

small mushroom stools are clustered at the base of wooden pillars

dipping beneath it, visitors realize that the roof also translates into a wall

a single mushroom stool wrapped around a wooden pillar of the roof

nendo and ryue nishizawa
image by yasunori shimomura

ryue nishizawa  and nendo at the ‘roof and mushrooms’ pavilion
image by yasunori shimomura

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