The Architecture of Terunobu Fujimori

Top to bottom: Terunobu Fujimori's Charred Cedar House, Coal House and Guest House
[all photos by Adam Friedberg for Dwell]

I first became familiar with Terunobu Fujimori and his Too High Tea House when I was researching tree houses for "Fly Away Home." It was only recently, though, that I realized the depth and breadth of his work.

A modern eccentric with traditional Japanese sensibilities, according to Dwell, Fujimori is not only an architect but also a scholar and professor of architectural history. Just as the Too High Tea House is a quirky, contemporary interpretation of an age-old Japanese cultural establishment, Fujimori continuously looks to the past to inform his forward-thinking designs.

Just take the Charred Cedar House, Coal House and Guest House above. Nothing can be more modern than these structures and shapes, not to mention that precarious cantilevering. Yet, the charred effect is achieved by an ancient, painstaking technique that seals the wood from rain, rot and insects for up to 80 years. (You can see Fujimori demonstrate the fascinating process here.)

The architect completed his own home, the Tanpopo House, in a suburb of Tokyo in 1955,
using volcanic siding and covering the roof and walls in grass and dandelions.

The Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum, above, was Fujimori's first commissioned building, completed in 1991.

Fujimori wanted this building, which houses the Nemunoki Museum of Art, to resemble a mammoth, but I'm getting more of a humpback whale vibe.

The Lamune Hot Spring House incorporates two pine trees, with their spires appearing to poke out from the roof. 

Fujimori often carves his architectural models out of wood. Above (left) is the model for his Too High Tea House,
along with the structure itself.

Fujimori does not have an established firm (he employs a rotating cast of graduate students), let alone a website, but this 2009 Dwell story delves into his background, process and inspiration to wonderful effect.