Dezeen Magazine

Love Japan – a design auction at Clerkenwell Design Week

Dezeen is one of many London design businesses supporting Love Japan - a design auction taking place at Clerkenwell Design Week next week to raise money for Shigeru Ban Architects’ evacuation centre project, which is helping people made homeless by the recent earthquake in Japan.

Neko by Sanaa for Alessi at Dezeen watch Store

We've donated a Neko watch from Dezeen Watch Store (above), designed by Japanese architects SANAA, as a prize.

Other prizes include a Nendo side table by Cappellini, a coffee and tea maker by Naoto Fukasawa for plusminuszero, and dinner for two at Yo! Sushi.

Prizes will be on show at TOTO, 140-142 St John Street, from 24-26 May; the auction takes place from 6-9pm on Thursday 26 May.

Download the auction catalogue here.

Dezeen Watch Store has a pop-up shop from 24-26 May at the Farmile Building at 34 St John Street during Clerkenwell Design Week. More on Clerkenwell Design Week in our earlier story.

Here's some text about the auction:


LOVE JAPAN aims to both raise awareness of Japanese design talent while supporting the community in Japan at a time of critical economic crisis.

Japanese design and craftsmanship has long appealed for its purity and play- fulness – in essence, taking the everyday to an art form. Sensing the current mood for going back to the fundamentals of design, to create a new simplicity – international design companies are increasingly commissioning Japanese designers to create furnishings and homewares for their collections.

A selection of generously donated Japanese design pieces by international manufacturers will be showcased at TOTO during Clerkenwell Design Week: 24-26 May 2011, and auctioned on Thursday 26 May, commencing 6:30pm.

All proceeds are in aid of Shigeru Ban Architects’ evacuation centre project.

Donated Items Include:

Neko Watch
Designed by SANAA for Alessi
Donated by: Dezeen Watch Store

Egg Chair
Designed by Arne Jacobsen/upholstered by Akira Minagawa
Donated by: Fritz Hansen

Butterfly Stool
Designed by Sori Yanagi for Vitra
Donated by: Vitra

AP Chair
Designed by Tomoko & Shin Azumi
Donated by: Hitch Mylius

Coffee/Tea Maker
Designed by Naoto Fukasawa for PlusMinusZero
Donated by: Twentytwentyone

Kettle, Bowl, Strainer Set, Saucepan and Tongs
Designed by Sori Yanagi
Donated by: Gateway Japan

L’Uovo S5029 Lamp
Designed by Shigeru Uchida
Donated by Yamagiwa / Gateway Japan

NARA Coat Stand
Designed by Shin Azumi
Donated by: Fredericia Furniture

Neorest Series Soap, Toothbrush and Toilet Brush Holders
Designed by TOTO
Donated by: TOTO

Sushi Class for Two People
Donated by YO! Sushi’s Sushi School

Shigeru Ban Architects' Evacuation Centres Partitions Project
The Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is renowned for creating shelters for victims of natural and manmade disasters. Following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake which struck the Pacific coast of Japan on March 11 2011, Ban is deploying simple partitions for evacuees taking shelter in gymnasiums in Japan's Tohoku region. It is imperative to help these people avoid the distress from lack of privacy and high occupancy. Modular paper tube partitions are fitted together with white canvas sheets attached to the frame to conceal each of the 161-sq ft units, typically allotted per family. Ban and his students are delivering the $300-each units to survivors via truck. Given the huge scale of the crisis, work continues, so future donations remain crucial. www.shigerubanarchitects.com

TOTO
The much loved luxury bathroom brand founded in Japan in 1917 – TOTO is a pioneer in bathroom culture, with a 900-strong team dedicated to research and development. TOTO opened its UK concept store in Clerkenwell in May 2010. Dedicated to displaying its revolutionary Total Bathroom philosophy, the custom-built showspace allows UK visitors to discover why more than 30 million WASHLETs have been sold worldwide and to view the operational products integrated with TOTO’s furniture collections in a stylish environment. The 300 m2 space features traditional handcrafted materials – steering the interior away from the standard showroom concept to create a synergy between the scale of the products and the display pavilions. TOTO’s philosophy is about good design and clean living. eu.toto.com6–9pm Thursday 26 May 2011
TOTO London Concept Store 140–142 St. John Street London EC1V 4UA. eu.toto.com