Fin-land: Haruka Misawa’s alluring aquariums

Why should humans have a monopoly on refinement? Enter: the contemporary aquarium. Haruka Misawa, formerly of nendo, takes us on a trip to fin-land with these stunning prototypes.
‘I’ve conducted countless small experiments, seeking to discover beyond just mere visual effects,’ Misawa writes of the design process. In one version, a submerged beaker becomes a tank within a tank, while the branched geometry of another calls to mind Sou Fujimoto’s Naoshima Pavilion.
Misawa has great respect for the life aquatic, using inorganic materials to mimic the organic– as well as anticipating feedback from the tanks’ tenants...with apparent success.
‘I will never forget the nervousness and excitement that I felt when I was putting fish and shrimps in the tank for the first time after the piece was completed,’ Misawa explains, ‘After a while, the shrimps began resting on the step-like branch structures, and followed by circling around the branches and floating up and down. When I saw this, I began to imagine that ‘they are in complete understanding of the purpose of my design.’’
Smart fish, those.
‘I’ve conducted countless small experiments, seeking to discover beyond just mere visual effects,’ Misawa writes of the design process.
The branched geometry of one tank calls to mind Sou Fujimoto’s Naoshima Pavilion.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
MoMA names Christophe Cherix its new director
The Swiss-born curator has worked in the Museum of Modern Art’s drawings and prints department since 2007
By Anna Fixsen Published
-
The Yale Center for British Art, Louis Kahn’s final project, glows anew after a two-year closure
After years of restoration, a modernist jewel and a treasure trove of British artwork can be seen in a whole new light
By Anna Fixsen Published
-
How Le Corbusier defined modernism
Le Corbusier was not only one of 20th-century architecture's leading figures but also a defining father of modernism, as well as a polarising figure; here, we explore the life and work of an architect who was influential far beyond his field and time
By Ellie Stathaki Published