Japanese Contemporary House

Small Anthology of Floating Spaces

Sordelli Alice, Zanoni Elena

Five essays about the contemporary Japanese house illustrated by a selection of designs by young architects. The domestic space becomes a symbol of the ability to adapt to new cultural and technological patterns. The designers provide brilliant meditations on the continuous exchange between body and space in a country that readily accepts change and looks forward to the future where buildings are not expected to last forever. Constantly and mutually interconnected spaces open up to the exterior, and the exterior in turn is reflected within the house. Through its constant references to Banana Yoshimoto's poetic writings, this book speaks to a large audience that includes enthusiasts who want to know more about this fluctuating world as well as architects and designers.

About the Author

Alice Sordelli (Como, 1984). Her dissertation "New directions in contemporary Japanese architecture. Interiors between tradition and modernity in the era of globalization" (2009), supervised by Maria Vittoria Capitanucci, thoroughly explores the Japanese design approach to interiors. She is fascinated by any example of architecture that successfully recreates a privileged connection with nature.

Elena Zanoni (Verona, 1984) Developed her personal passion for Banana Yoshimoto's novels as the subject of her dissertation, supervised by Beppe Finessi. "Rarefied spaces. Looking for Banana Yoshimoto's architectures" (2008) is a full immersion in contemporary Japanese architecture. Currently she oscillates between architectural rationality and floating evanescent designs.

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