Homes are generally regarded as safe spaces, which is what makes Kiyoto Ota's unwelcoming wooden houses such a fright to those who visit them.
Unlike a house, which provides warmth and comfort, Ota's experimental designs elicit a sense of urgency and fear from the guest. The wooden designs were created in two iterations, one which sucks the air out of the room, and another which rains on anyone who enters. The artist designs these homes with the intention of "erasing the function" leaving an empty abode that serves as "a sculpture rather than a house."
Through this project, the artist aimed to symbolically interpenetrate his own childhood home in Japan, which he describes as "empty," now that it's occupied by other inhabitants.
Unfriendly Abode Installations
Kiyoto Ota's Unwelcoming Wooden Houses Rain on Those Who Go Inside
Trend Themes
1. Unwelcoming Homes - Opportunity for designers to create homes that challenge traditional notions of comfort and safety and instead elicit new emotional experiences.
2. Experimental House Designs - Potential for architects to push boundaries and create unconventional homes that serve as thought-provoking sculptures rather than just functional living spaces.
3. Symbolic Structures - Chance for artists and designers to use architecture as a medium to explore and express personal and cultural symbolism, creating structures with deeper meaning.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Innovative opportunity is open for architects to embrace unconventional house designs and structures, creating something new, different, and experimental.
2. Interior Design - Interior designers have the option to create spaces that elicit unexpected emotions and reactions, rather than simply being comfortable and welcoming.
3. Art and Sculpture - Artists can take inspiration from Kiyoto Ota's work and create large-scale installations that are not simply aesthetically pleasing, but also emotionally challenging and thought-provoking.