• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to define concept and characteristics of "Unphenomenon", the design concept conceived by Shiro Kuramata who is a world renowned Japanese interior designer and to explore how his ideas were materialized in his works. This study 1) examines his experience during his childhood reflected in his essay The scenery of the Unphenomenon' and training in Kuwazawa Design Institute that made Shiro Kuramata a true interior designer, and also considers how his design philosophy had been built up and realized under the unique social situation at the time. 2) defines the concept and characteristics of "Unphenomenon" as substance of his design philosophy by surveying remarks in his books and comments made by people around him in press interviews. 3) concludes his own design method and uniqueness by analyzing his works based on them. As a result, the study has founded that 1) transparency as recognitive realization of existence and non-existence: non-existence of physical property, connotation, ambiguity 2) expression of uncommonness by correcting and reinterpreting common prejudices: flotation, distortion of scale and shape 3) realization of insubstantiality by removing and replacing material and shape: replacement into light, removal of the structure, multiple layers of meaning.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.21-30
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• 2012

Interior space of modern society has a request for non-functional considerations as well as a need for function. French sociologist Jean Baudrillard defined this phenomenon as a dialectical relationship between the functional system and the non-functional system in his book "The System of Objects". The main goal of interior design is the pursuit of non-functional aspects which can satisfy emotional needs of human being without ignoring functional side. This means that designer should exceed the limitation of the functional system and overcome it by his own idea and method. Under this recognition, this paper tried to understand how Shiro Kuramata and Takashi Sugimoto accomplished the overcoming successfully. Sugimoto breaks through mechanical monotony introducing the non-functional objects into the functional system. His objects have power and form of the nature. They also shows traces of manufacture and labor. They works as media transferring old life and values. Sugimoto sometimes adopts the non-functional system such as collection, so it reveals time of collecting and arrangement of various objects. In contrast to Sugimoto, Kuramata erased the form of functional object and turned over the everydayness of the functional system. Instead, aesthetical phenomena substitutes form. Having doubts about the geometrical order of functional system, he opened a discourse for its meaning and limitation. However they have something in common which works as a blueprint for establishing subject's discourse. This discourse is comprised of their own memories of scenes. These subjects' discourse institute worlds through their design works based on each methodology. From the Heideggerian point of view, the worlds offer a foundation which allows the establishment of art in interior design.