Niwa 庭

A bench inspired by Japanese light-and-shadow effects

Niwa 庭 - Garden bench

Niwa means ‘garden’ in Japanese. This bench was designed for an outdoor exhibition in the park Frederiksberg Have. It is made of a series of transverse bars mounted on a powerful boom like a string of pearls. The design was inspired by a sliding dovetail joint. Each bar has been reinforced with two powerful wooden spikes that make the construction strong enough to produce a floating effect.

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The bars have a hexagonal profile. On the top, they are decorated with oblique cuts that produce a beautiful and tactile light-and-shadow effect and also helps water drain off the surface, so the bench ages beautifully.

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After 20 years outdoors, the bench has now developed a lovely, slightly porous surface in a light grey tone.

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I placed all the joints on the underside of the bench. This protects them from the effects of wind and weather. Strong mortise joints and wooden oak spikes make the bench resistant to outdoor conditions.

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Exhibited in the Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, Frederiksberg Have, 2006.

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There is so much inspiration to be found in the old Japanese temples. The Japanese joiners who work on the temples spend an amazing amount of time on every detail. On one of my trips, I had a chance to visit the imperial gardens at Shugakuin Rikyu near Kyoto. The large Omote-mon gate had some interesting panelling, where the joiner had planed identical notches into the bars, producing an attractive light-and-shadow effect. Later, I have seen similar patterns elsewhere in Japan on visits to traditional houses and temples.

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INSPIRATION: OMOTE-MON GATESHUGAKUIN RIKYU, KYOTO · JAPAN

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Measurements

Width:

130

Height:

Depth:

Other

Type:

Bench

Material:

Oak