Hi MLE,

This project brings back memories of our happy days at art school. Not at all because the project seems inexperienced, but rather because it is all about concepting rather than just the final product, and that is nice to see.

Seven door designs commemorates the 70th anniversary of Abe Kogyo, a Japanese manufacturer of wooden front and interior doors, partitions, fixtures and custom-made furniture.

From top to bottom:

1. slide
Much like a window blind, this door can create small spaces to let light in, to let a breeze through, and to create a greater sense of connectivity between rooms.

2. hang
A door fitted with internal 2.5mm magnet sheet, allowing the user to attach various accessories to it such as trays, dust bins, flower pots, vases, and other containers. This design feature has given a new function to the door as a storage device, rather than just a thing to go in and out of.

3. kumiko
A door that applies kumiko, a technique of assembling wooden interior lattices without nails, most often used in creating door fixtures for traditional Japanese tatami rooms.

4. wall
By covering this door with shelves and picture frames that one would usually fit to a wall, this unit dims the very concept of a door, allowing it to blend into the wall to an unprecedented extent.

5. corner
A door that allows the user to enter and exit through corners of a room, transforming the way we think about interior layout. As this door opens particularly wide, an additional practical result of this design

6. baby
Abe Kogyo also manufactures various interior fittings for nurseries and pre-schools, and this gave rise to the idea of having adults and children walk through doors that match their respective sizes.

7. lamp
A door and lighting fixture in one, employing the wiring techniques used in electronic locks.
More info can be found on the Nendo’s site, where I found this project.

Have a nice weekend!

Suzan