5 profound Japanese design principles that are very demure and very mindful

The 1995 Pritzker Prize laureate Tadao Ando’s Church of Light in Osaka embodies the raw, unadorned beauty central to wabi-sabi. The simple reinforced concrete structure, with its iconic cross-shaped aperture in the altar wall, creates an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow, highlighting the transient nature of our perceptions and experiences.

Meanwhile, Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt is renowned for his wabi-sabi-inspired interiors, often incorporating weathered materials, antique objects, and neutral palettes to create spaces that feel both ancient and contemporary.

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This fundamental concept in Japanese aesthetics exemplifies the profound appreciation of negative space and interval in both spatial and temporal dimensions.

It emphasises the significance of emptiness and momentary pauses, and it’s a recognition that the void between objects or events is as crucial as the objects or events themselves, something to be appreciated. 

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In design, ma manifests through the intentional use of empty space, creating a sense of balance, rhythm, and contemplation; which renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma applied in Atami Kaihourou, a small luxury resort.

The strategic placement of glass panels and water features blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior, utilising large open spaces and transparent elements to create a seamless flow.

Japanese industrial designer Sori Yanagi, on the other hand, showcases ma on a smaller scale. The Butterfly Stool’s two curved pieces of moulded plywood contribute to visual lightness, and allows for easy handling and stacking.

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An advocate for clearing away clutter and allowing the truly essential to shine, kanso is one of the building blocks of the much-favoured minimalist interior design.

The emphasis of clarity and simplicity is demonstrated through multi-functional furniture and clever hidden storage solutions, kanso offers a path to a more mindful and intentional way of living and designing.

British architect John Pawson’s own residence, the Pawson House in London, features starkly minimalist interiors with a meticulous focus on essential elements. Hidden storage solutions are integrated into the architecture, maintaining clean lines and unbroken surfaces while providing ample space for daily necessities.

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Another example of kanso in design are the chair designs created by Naoto Fukasawa for wood furniture brand Maruni–each deceptively simple with an absence of ornamentation, every element of the wooden chairs serves a purpose.

From the gently curved backrest for comfort to the precisely angled legs for stability, their minimalist forms belie the complex thought process behind the designs, showcasing how kanso can result in objects that are both beautiful and highly functional.

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Another integral concept to the Japanese aesthetic tradition is shakkei, or “borrowed scenery;” which focuses on the intentional incorporation of external landscapes into the design of a space, integrating the natural environment as an extension of the built environment.

Shakkei emphasises the importance of framing and highlighting distant vistas, be it mountain ranges, cityscapes, or other scenic elements. This is done through strategic placements of windows, landscape arrangements, or viewpoint curations, expanding the physical limitations of a space to create a harmonious dialogue between the interior and the exterior.

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The Sendai Mediatheque in Japan, designed by Japanese architect and 2013 Pritzker Prize laureate Toyo Ito, accommodates the surrounding urban landscape through its transparent façade that changes seasonally throughout the year; engaging the visitors with the broader context beyond the structure’s walls.

Meanwhile, at the Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japanese landscape architect Mirei Shigemori masterfully incorporated views of the distant mountains as a key element of the composition for the surrounding gardens. The carefully framed views and meticulously placed stones work in harmony to draw the eye outward, expanding the perceived scale and depth of the garden.

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Finally, fukinsei, the Japanese aesthetic principle of asymmetry and irregularity, challenges the conventional notion of balance through perfect symmetry. 

Through controlled imbalance, a sense of natural flow and visual intrigue emerge, transforming architectural spaces into captivating, harmonious compositions that expand the boundaries of what is possible in the built environment.

Such applied mastery can be seen in the works of architectural heavyweights like Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry, whose iconic deconstructivism builds offer a fresh, unexpected perspective, and expand the boundaries of what is possible in the built environment through fukinsei.

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The fluid, asymmetrical form of Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan sees the rejection of traditional symmetry. Inspired by the folding of the landscape’s natural topography, the curved surfaces and irregularly shaped volumes create a sense of dynamism and movement, evoking a harmonious balance within the irregularity.

Likewise, Gehry’s revolutionary Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, showcases fukinsei in both its exterior and interior. The seemingly organic titanium-clad façade shifts depending on the viewer’s perspective, whereas the unconventional layouts and varying ceiling heights of the interior spaces break away from the typical rectilinear shapes of buildings.

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