Yoshi Bar by Naoya Matsumoto
Using simple reed grown in Biwako, Shiga, Naoya Matsumoto has construction the essence of a traditional Yoshi bar in a two day workshop, from design to construction. The structure was hand made in six separate panels and put together at the Seian University of arts and design in Otsu.
The fragile installation deconstructs the conventional language of the gabled roof, reinterpreting the traditional Yoshi-bar as a sensual ideal of space. The installation creates a human nest for temporary occupation, acting as a temporary bar for spectators to immerse themselves in the surrounding environment. The Japanese attitude of an intimate connection to the environment resonates with the ad-hoc constructed façade.
At night the form is revealed against the dark sky via up-lighting, extenuating the warmth of the material.
By Geoff Eberle
Courtesy of Naoya Matsumoto