For Forest Conversations, Karimoku Furniture explores the journey from living landscapes to crafted objects through a series of installations across two venues in Tokyo, running from 3 November to 21 December 2026.
The installation is directed by Copenhagen-based design studio Norm Architects and Japanese architect and designer Keiji Ashizawa. One of the most contemplative elements of Forest Conversations can be found at the KARIMOKU RESEARCH CENTER: the Still Room, an immersive pavilion created in collaboration with Cédric Étienne, founder of design studio Corkinho. By combining regenerative cork, solid wood and water, the installation translates the life cycle of a tree into a space. Cork forms the pavilion’s outer surface, while solid wood represents the passage of time and the transformations that take place as a tree grows. Inside, drops of falling water create concentric ripples, echoing the rings of a tree trunk and making time itself part of the composition. Visitors are invited to enter barefoot, take a seat and spend a moment in quiet contemplation, connecting with natural materials.
