KEY DESIGNS

THE FOREST (2018)

For this pop-up installation at the Valextra boutique on Via Manzoni in Milan, Italy, Kengo Kuma envisioned a forest-inspired environment that evokes a sense of tranquility. It featur es the Italian brand’s leather goods on natural wooden slats that stand tall individually and in clusters like trees in a forest. valextra.com

WHITE STONE GALLERY (2017)

Working against the conventional white cubic structure of the building, a series of cypress boards twist and turn as part of the dynamic entrance of this art gallery in Taipei, Taiwan. Within the gallery, cascading layers of these wooden blocks form a staircase, shelves, countertops and various partitions within the art space. whitestone-gallery.com

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE (2008)

Located along the Sanlitun Street in the heart of Beijing, this boutique hotel comprises an exterior made entirely with glass—the glass facade features an emerald silk screen print that draws cues to the Chinese lattice screen. Inspired by the layout of the traditional Chinese courtyard house, the hotel features a large, light-filled atrium as its focal point, with a series of scr eens that connect the public area to the guest rooms. theoppositehouse.com