Esoteric Survey

Kai Winding for Poul Hundevad blanket chest Jens Quistgaard Rare Woods tray and some tatami mats

  Malibu Furniture Company Robert Maxwell x 2

Summer House by Noémi & Antonin Raymond (1933) in Karuizawa, Japan The Raymonds designed the house for their own use as a summer retreat. It has changed ownerships many times over the years and was moved to the current site in 1986. It's now a museum dedicated to French illustrator Raymond Peynet.  The Raymonds spent over 40 years living and working in Japan. Antonin was Czech and Noémi was born in France. Antonin moved to America in 1910 and worked as a draftsman. He moved back to Europe for a short time but returned stateside where he met Noémi. Then in 1916, the couple began working for Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin. After a stint in the Army, Wright asked Antonin to go to Tokyo with him to work on the Imperial Hotel.  In 1921 Antonin left Frank Lloyd Wright to open his own office in Tokyo. By the sound of this letter, Wright wasn't very happy about it.  Source:  Crafting a Modern World: The Designs of Antonin and Noemi Raymond by Kurt Helfrich, Wi...

Sori Yanagi x 2 I'm up to three of these Katsuo Matsumura tables This one took a train trip from a beautiful seaside town in Japan to a suitcase on JAL.  I always say i'm not going to buy books when I travel.  How about finding a Tropi-Cal catalog in Japan?

Hoshino Chapel or Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Stone Church in Karuizawa, Japan by San Diego architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg (1988).  I went to Japan for a couple weeks. This is my first report back. A post about a hometown guy who recently passed seems like a good way to start it off. The goal of this project was to integrate the architecture into the natural surrounding. In addition to the use of local stone, the building's form was designed to blend in with the landscape and topography.  As the church describes it, " Organic architecture aims to be in harmony with nature. " Kellogg walked the area  and was "...inspired by the land itself, creating a unique architecture that deeply resonates with the four seasons of Karuizawa and the philosophy of Kanzo Uchimura." Source:   Stone Church It's a very popular wedding venue. Some tout it as the "most popular" in Japan.  A fter a three hour Shinkansen train journey from Tokyo, I almost didn't get to s...