Kengo Kuma – the architect behind Japan’s 2020 Olympic Stadium – is behind two Christmas trees, both made of timber, now gracing two of Tokyo’s high-end hotels. Mr Kuma, who has been championing timber-based construction for decades, said both would be disassembled and turned into furniture by Karimoko, a Japanese furniture manufacturer, after the festive season.
“I designed the Christmas tree as an architectural structure for this project,” according to Mr Kuma. “The trees have a story of their assembly; even after it is finished, they will live forever. In this sense, I realised the ideal way of architecture in the future through the Christmas tree.”
Wood Central understands that the first tree, Kigumi, is situated in the lobby of the Tokyo Edition Toranomon Hotel. The tree uses linear timber pieces from six types of wood: oak, magnolia, castor aralia, Japanese walnut, Japanese maple, and North American walnut. These woods are paired with silver and bronze metallic finishes, which, once disassembled, will be used in the table legs.
Meanwhile, the second tree, Komorebi, is in the Tokyo Edition Ginza lobby bar. The tree has rounded elements, including oak, castor aralia, Japanese walnut, Japanese maple, and magnolia. The different elements are made from curved timber. The elements will be converted into table tops and hollow legs for a desk.
“This project of reusing the wood used for the event as furniture is very attractive because it aligns with what we cherish daily,” according to Karimoku board director Eiichiro Kato. “We hope that by purchasing the table, you will be able to enjoy the variety of the wood used in the table and feel the charm of the wood and the individuality of the forests we benefit from through our daily lives.”
- To learn more about Kengo Kuma and his passion for timber construction, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from earlier this year.
