Japan 2022British Antique Museum / BAM Kamakura
Located on Wakamiya Oji Street which leads to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura, this museum houses Masaomi Dobashi’s impressive British antique collection.
Inspired by the similarity between the spartan spirit of samurais and the chivalry of knights, we sought to connect Kamakura and the United Kingdom through Kamakura-bori, a signature woodcarving technique that creates sophisticated engravings using the sharp edge of a chisel, like that of a sword. We recreated the beautiful simple curves of the Kamakura-bori surfaces using a CNC cutter to carve into cypress lumber. By splitting the engraved lumber and placing the pieces at evenly spaced gaps, we created a façade screen that offers both the warmth of wood and a sense of transparency.
The façade achieves a perspective effect by making the scale of the engravings gradually smaller as it reaches the top of the façade, giving the impression of the building blending seamlessly into the sky. The subtle transitions in geometry were made possible by the combination of 3D software and a CNC cutter.
We repurposed wood pieces believed to be earth retaining walls excavated from the site as interior materials for the tearoom on the fourth floor. Using wood as a bridging material, we reconnected the past and the present.
