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2023.06.20

Teahouse "Veneti-An Tea House" on display at the 18th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition

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Mitsubishi Jisho Design Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Junichi Tanizawa) is exhibiting "Veneti-An Tea House" a temporary teahouse and furniture pavilion, in the Giardini Marinaressa Gardens in Venice, Italy, from May 20, 2023. This was unveiled at the "TIME SPACE EXPERIENCE" (organized by the European Cultural Center) at the 2023 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition.

Resource circulation and response to local characteristics

"Veneti-An Tea House" is a teahouse that uses Italian food waste (pasta, coffee grounds, wine corks) and recyclable resources (recycled paper) as building materials as an attempt to put into practice and demonstrate the "circular economy" (economic activities that make effective use of stock and create new value) that is currently attracting worldwide attention at an Architectural Design office. In addition to resources, the latitude of the location where it will be installed is incorporated into the design as a regional characteristic, embodying universality and uniqueness that can be deployed anywhere in the world.
After the event, as a further upcycling measure, the pavilion will be dismantled into its parts, which will then be reconstructed and redistributed as furniture that can be fashioned in various ways.

Architectural Features of "Veneti-An Tea House"

1. Generate the shape based on the latitude of the exhibition venue

Focusing on the latitude (45 degrees) of Venice, where the exhibition will be held, the frame structure is based on this angle in order to properly introduce/block sunlight into the pavilion. The frame is made of Miura-ori wire that has been laminated, and the joint parts, which are the key to the structure, have a curved design to allow force to flow smoothly. This is an expansion of the joint technology that Mitsubishi Jisho Design has been researching as part of its R&D.
The pavilion system responds to the characteristics of each region by adapting its design to the latitude of its installation location, such as 35 degrees (Tokyo) and 1 degree (Singapore).

The joints that make up the entire pavilion.
The joint extends in eight directions and is inserted into the shaft material.

Simulation of accumulated solar radiation.
During the event period (May to November), the frame of the Veneti-An Tea House can block about half of the sunlight that reaches the interior.

When deployed and installed in various locations around the world, the shape of the joints changes based on the latitude of each location, and the overall form of the "Iori" changes.

Overall view of the exhibition

2. Technology to realize a "Circular Pavilion"

1. Food waste turned into components: The joint parts are made of "food concrete," which is made by heating and compressing food waste generated in the exhibition area. This time, pasta and coffee grounds, which are discarded in large quantities in Italy, are used to address local issues.
2. Reduction of CO2 emissions during transportation through weight reduction: Semi-permanently recyclable paper and cork are used to reduce weight. Designers can transport the materials in suitcases (120L cases x 7).
3) Water-resistant treatment that returns to nature: In order to exhibit materials that are vulnerable to water outdoors, the physical properties of each material were investigated, and a transcendent liquid made from naturally occurring silicon was mixed and applied to each component. The hydroxyl groups of each part were bonded through a chemical reaction to achieve water resistance.

Generally, building materials used outdoors are homogeneous regardless of region, such as metal, glass, stone, and concrete, but with these technologies, we are exploring the possibility of using various environmentally friendly organic materials as building materials.

Water-resistant joints made from pasta and recycled paper tubes. The water-resistant liquid used is recyclable and can be recycled back into the soil.

3. Garden and approach

In addition to the Veneti-An Tea House an, several other art pieces and pavilions will be installed in the Giardini Marinaressa Gardens during the period. The Veneti-An Tea House an is a teahouse, and the approach to the garden and other exhibits are arranged as important elements of the roji (garden attached to the teahouse).

4. Developments after the exhibition period ends

At the end of the six-month exhibition period, "Veneti-An Tea House" will be dismantled into its individual parts. Those interested in owning it will be able to create the shape they want online, and the components will be provided along with an NFT-ized assembly diagram. 3D data will also be provided, allowing users to create and expand parts using a 3D printer or NC machine.
The Veneti-An Tea House, which was designed with the intention of turning it into furniture, can be thought of as a teahouse made up of furniture parts.

Left: The "Veneti-An Tea House" placed in the garden. Right: Furniture reconstructed from parts. The tabletop is made of edible concrete made from coffee grounds.

Special Comment

Architect Tetsuo Nishizawa shared his thoughts on the exhibition.

We use various technologies to create very complex, machine-like architecture, cities, and societies every day. On the other hand, it can be said that such technologies have expanded the functions of the human body and our senses of perceiving the world. Technology can change the environment, and it can also change us. The various technologies concentrated in the small teahouse "Veneti-An Tea House" are intricate means for creating it, but at the same time, they have the power to greatly expand and stimulate our imagination, such as the size of the Earth, what it means today to travel on it, and the global cost of maintaining civilization. It is as if the function of the hermitage is to indulge in such contemplation.

Nishizawa Tetsuo / Architect. Born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1974. Graduated from the Master's course at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2000. Established Nishizawa Tetsuo Architects in 2007. Becomes a professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology from 2023. Major works include the "Renovation of the Gallery at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo," "Kyocera Museum of Art, Kyoto" (collaboration with Aoki Jun), and "Hachinohe City Museum of Art" (collaboration with Asako Yoshihide and Mori Junpei). Received numerous awards including the 30th AACA Award, JIA Japan Architecture Grand Prize, Architectural Institute of Japan Award (Work Award), 62nd Mainichi Art Award, and many more.

Exhibition Overview

Veneti-An Tea House-AN/TIME SPACE EXISTENCE

Exhibition Period	May 20th - November 26th, 2023
venue	Giardini Marinaressa Gardens, Venice (Riva dei Sette Martiri, 1364, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy)
Design and Construction	Takaaki Fuji (Mitsubishi Jisho Design, tyfa/Takaaki Fuji + Yuko Fuji Architecture) Hiroya Inage (Mitsubishi Jisho Design) De Yuan Kang (Mitsubishi Jisho Design Asia)
Production Cooperation	Kota Machida (fabrication)…Food waste material manufacturing Mitsuru Muroshima (Muroshima Seiko)…Mold production for food waste materials Japan Chemical Industry …Paper waste paper tube manufacturing Osamu Oide (Silicagen)…Transcendent Liquid Waterproof Mixture Shuji Nakano (IWS)…Cork flooring manufacturing
tea ceremony	Matsumura Sosuke (crazy)
Photos and Videos	Shohei Yokoyama, Yuta Sawamura
Special Thanks	YAU (Yurakucho Art Urbanism), Joseph Canouil (Mitsubishi Jisho Design)
Organizer	European Cultural Center Venice Biennial “TIME SPACE EXISTENCE” 2023
WEB	timespaceexistence.com
Main Applications	Pavilion, Tea House
size	1,700×1,700×1,700mm
structure	Miura folding frame laminated structure
Materials	Waste (pasta, coffee, cork, paper)

Designer Profile

Takaaki Fuji

Chief Architect of Mitsubishi Jisho Design Co., Ltd. / Representative of tyfa / Part-time Lecturer at Meiji University
His major works include "Taipei Nanshan Plaza" (Taipei), "Bay Window Tower" (Tokyo), and "Meguru Ma". He is skilled in design approaches that formally embody consideration for the surrounding and global environment through environmental simulations and circular materials.
For "Bay Window Tower", he has received the Architectural Design Institute of Japan Grand Prize, the Architectural Institute of Japan Anthology New Face Award, the Good Design Award, the Japan Interior Designers Association JID Award, and the Architecture Master Prize Winner, and for "Taipei Nanshan Plaza", he has received the CTBUH Award of Excellence and other architecture awards both at home and abroad.

Hiroya Inage

Mitsubishi Jisho Design Architects
He is involved in development of BIM, ZEB, GIS, digital archives, etc. He is skilled in data-driven design approaches based on human activity, comfort, and urban environments through environmental simulation and computational design.

De Yuan Kang

Mitsubishi Jisho Design Architects
His major works include the interior design series for a certain company's overseas branch, "The Grand Outlet East Jakarta."
Having been involved in projects in various countries, he has become adept at design approaches that take into consideration regional characteristics and bring out the appeal of a mix of diverse cultures and international elements.

Gallery

Parts production process. ① An example of food waste used in this project. ② Making the mold for the parts. ③ Powdered waste is packed into the mold and compressed while being heated. ④ The completed parts (pictured are a joint made of pasta [top] and flooring made of coffee grounds [bottom]). These are then treated to be water-resistant.

Top left: On the pre-opening day, a tea ceremony was held by Matsumura Souryou (Muchakucha), who is pioneering new possibilities in the tea ceremony.
Top right: An exhibition that treats the garden's pathway as an open space, overlooking the Venetian bay in the distance.
Below: A full view of the pavilion. The sense of density changes in a complex way depending on the angle.

that's all

Contact for inquiries regarding this matter

Mitsubishi Jisho Design Inc. Public Relations Office
TEL 03-3287-5001

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