Designer and artist Tokujin Yoshioka’s ethereal, all-glass Japanese tea house made a comeback at the Saga Prefectural Art Museum recently (ended in February) after its Japanese debut in Kyoto from 2015 to 2017. The good news is, this amazing tea house has finally made its way to Tokyo, complete with its iconic ‘Water Block’ glass benches, and you can see it at The National Art Center, Tokyo.
Built exclusively from transparent glass, this iconic structure celebrates the time-honoured Japanese custom of the tea ceremony. This outdoor installation re-examines the roots of Japanese culture and tradition through a modern eye, while you get to marvel at its changing reflections under natural light. The inspired use of glass immortalises the tea house as an 'architecture of light'. In the open space, the natural light creates a glistening water surface-like effect on the glass, and the glass in turn takes on a prism-like effect, refracting light into a rainbow of dimensions.
The structure was first introduced back in 2011 at the 54th La Biennale di Venezia in Venice, Italy. For this installment, the tea house will be on display at The National Art Center, Tokyo until May 10, 2021. You can easily find it in front of the gallery main entrance.
For more art in Tokyo, check out the best art exhibitions happening this spring.