'MATERIAL AXIS'

By deconstructing/reinterpreting Maison Special’s brand concept, “SPECIAL IS YOUR STANDARD”, the interior concept of the space was created to question the ordinary daily life that we take for granted, to turn the ordinary and the extraordinary, and to allow us to see the extraordinary (SPECIAL) in the ordinary daily life (STANDARD).

We have challenges two different approaches.

Firstly, we focused on the location of the shop, Nagoya. Nagoya located on the centre of Japan, connecting east, west, north, and south. Variety of people and things come across and plays a role of a hub of logistics from early ages. Based on this historical context, space was created with diverse range of styles, materials and colours. Considering materials from wide range of axis; such as types, quantity, times (old or new), distance from place of origin (domestic or overseas, how far away the material is produced), and origin (natural, man-made artisanal materials or off cut), we designed the situation where people exposed to various textures, patterns, and colours at once, which are not perceived in everyday life.

Secondly, we focused on how people perceive spaces, in particular illusion and discomfort.

The space is divided into six areas in the XY-axis direction, and at the same time the floor level is changed in the Z-axis direction in minute detail in each area as a mechanism for transforming the space. These minute differences create the sensation of stepping into the next space, even without a door.

A space where floor tiles are raised to be fixtures, a space with wall mirrors arranged in a continuous zigzag pattern, a space with a carpeted floor with a tile pattern, and a space composed only orange colour in different materials.

Each area was designed to create an illusion or discomfort through the use of materials and shapes.

In addition, we were questioning the definition of floor, wall, and ceiling. Does people recognise the space as a room if only floor or wall or ceiling exists as objects? The space itself and the relationship between areas are questioning people how they recognise space.