Pocket Gardens - Contemporary Japanese Miniature Designs
Drawing on both ancient techniques and modern innovations, elegant and inspiring designs for maximising the pleasures and possibilities of minimalist spaces.
Called 'tsubo-niwa' after a unit of measurement equating to two person-sized tatami mats placed side by side, the pocket garden has been a part of Japanese architecture for thousands of years. In the last few decades, a new generation of architects began to experiment with the concept in imaginative ways - the techiniques now well suited to small urban garden and outdoor spaces in cities around the world.
Beautifully illustated and designed with a reflective, contemplative aesthetic, this book offers a broad array of miniature garden designs, including Keno Kuma's explorations of materials as diverse as andesite and plastic, Takeshi Nagasaki's art installation gardens with stepping stones of cast glass and bronze, and Yasuiro Harada's mobile cube gardens - plantings in stainless steel trays on wheels that can be stacked and rearranged.
Freeman's previous book, Space: Japanese Design Solutions, was very well recieved at the Design Museum Shop when it was published three years ago, so this book is a very welcome return to form by the author, who is an authority on Asian design and art and an award-winning photographer, as clearly demonstrated in this publication. It stands above the many other books on small urban garden design and is a joy and inspiration to read.
Format
6.75 x 6.75 inches
Materials
Hardback
