Curated by Kenya Hara, MUJI’s artistic director and a leading figure in Japanese design, the exhibition first opened in London in 2020 and is now on display in Italy.
The exhibition ‘Architecture for Dogs’ has arrived at the ADI Design Museum in Milan and it offers an interesting yet thought-provoking exploration. Design adapted to our canine friends. The exhibition, which will open on December 3, 2024 and continue until February 16, showcases innovative dog houses created by famous architects and designers such as MVRDV, Kengo Kuma, Konstantin Grcic, Asif Khan, Shigeru Ban and Sou Fujimoto.
Forget what you think you know about kennels: exhibition pushes the boundaries of architectural form and functionThey include everything from ramps and cushions to designs that give furry breeds a cool shelter from the heat to a vertical doghouse that brings dogs up to human eye level.
The exhibition, which is the second edition held in Europe after the exhibition held in London in 2020, is also two new Italian designsde Piero Lissoni and Giulio Iacchetti.
Dog houses are accompanied by photos and videos explores the deep bond between architecture and our four-legged friends. The exhibition invites viewers to think How can architecture transcend the traditional human context to communicate across species?It offers a common language that strengthens the bond between humans and animals.
In the age of anthropocentrism, ‘Architecture for Dogs’ flips the paradigm by placing pets as active heroes rather than passive inhabitants. The project reimagines “masko-tecture” –Designs specially created according to pet characteristics– encouraging the rethinking of shared living spaces, challenging traditional architecture by exploring the relationship between humans and animals in a new artistic light.
The exhibition also taps into a growing social trend, especially in Italy, where there are approximately 15 million pet dogs and one in every two people in Milan has a pet. Beyond architecture, The exhibition also deals with fashion and textile issues. In collaboration with Poldo Dog Couture, Giorgio Armani created a capsule collection for dogs that combines luxury style with practical design. Would you like to make your own stand inspired by the exhibition? Plans and design instructions are available for free download online.
