CASA | Creative Director Akio Aoki's Picks for the Best of 2011!

Akio Aoki, Creative Director, Selects!

2011's Best Products, Exhibitions & Shops

With only a short time left in the year, a look back revealsthe Great East Japan Earthquakeand many other shocking events. However, these experiences have given us pause to reconsider the importance of family and the true richness of daily life, making it a year of significant realization.

The field of design also saw a major shift in perspective. Instead of solely pursuing business logic, attention turned to creations that offered unique value and delivered emotional resonance. This year, Creative Director Akio Aoki has selected the content that moved him most in three categories: 'Best Products,' 'Best Exhibitions,' and 'Best Shops.'

Text by Akio Aoki (MIRU DESIGN)

Things and Experiences That Moved Me This Year

＜Best Products＞ Heracleum

Heracleum, a lighting fixture from 'moooi,' one of the world's most influential furniture brands, art-directed by Marcel Wanders.
The design was by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot, a graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Heracleum refers to a plant in the parsley family, native to Europe, Northern Asia, and Northern Africa, which bears small white flowers. Like the Heracleum flower, 63 white polycarbonate-encased LEDs create an organic and gentle impression, reminiscent of nature, through their branching metal wires. It's a lighting fixture that can be used like a decorative plant in a room.

CIBONE AOYAMA
Tel. 03-3475-8017
http://cibone.com/

＜Best Exhibition＞ Charlotte Perriand New Works Exhibition

A new exhibition of works by Charlotte Perriand held at Cassina IXC's Aoyama store.
Perriand was a designer who, alongside the master Le Corbusier and his nephew Pierre Jeanneret, created numerous artistic works closely tied to daily life, spanning architecture, interior design, and furniture.

During her repeated visits to Japan from 1940 onwards, she was inspired by Japan's approach of pursuing the possibilities of modernism within nature while respecting tradition, and subsequently, many of her works strongly reflected these elements. The installation featuring bamboo, used in the new chaise longue 'TOKYO,' was created by Makoto Azuma, and its fantastical space garnered significant attention.

Cassina IXC Aoyama Store
Tel. 03-5474-9001
http://www.cassina-ixc.com/

＜Best Shop＞ Daikanyama Tsutaya Books

Tsutaya Books in Daikanyama, a new style of bookstore pioneering culture for adults. It offers a wide range of magazines and books, from the latest global information to highly curated vintage titles, and features a groundbreaking service that can create on-demand DVDs of films not yet released on disc, embodying the concept 'there isn't a movie that doesn't exist.' The selection of jazz, classical, and rock & pop music is also impressive.
Furthermore, with a Starbucks and the lounge 'Anjin,' surrounded by rare art and books, it's a luxurious haven where book lovers can fully immerse themselves in reading.

Additionally, there are services like a travel desk and a well-stocked stationery corner featuring fountain pens. Klein Dytham Architecture designed the building and interior, with a unique design characterized by a wall surface that repeats the letter 'T.' Amidst the rapid discussion of e-books in the publishing industry, this place reminds us of the richness of savoring carefully selected books.

Culture Convenience Club
Tel. 03-6742-0431
http://tsite.jp/daikanyama/

Akio Aoki
Representative of MIRU DESIGN. Born in Tokyo in 1978. Creative Director. After serving as Director of the design event DESIGNTIDE TOKYO from 2005 to 2009, he launched MIRU DESIGN in 2009. Leveraging a network of designers across various fields including product, interior, architecture, and graphics, he produces and coordinates design exhibitions and promotional events. He also directs product development for original products of more trees, an organization headed by musicianRyuichi Sakamotoand handles the creative direction for the Interior Lifestyle Exhibition.
MIRU DESIGN
http://www.miru-design.com/