The V&A Dundee is hosting an exhibition on the work of Ushida Findlay, the Scottish-Japanese architectural partnership known for the Soft and Hairy House in Tokyo. Completed in 1994, the house features plump contours and a shaggy green roof, with a bright blue bathroom pod resembling a giant fungal entity. The exhibition, part of the Royal Scottish Academy's bicentenary programme, runs until 28 August.
Surrealist Inspiration and Design Philosophy
Dalí's prophecy that architecture would become 'soft and hairy' inspired the Soft and Hairy House. The partnership of Kathryn Findlay and Eisaku Ushida blended Celtic coiling with Japanese 'rawness', using fractal geometries and chaos theory. Their approach carved spaces from solid mass, like a worm eating an apple, as Findlay described.
Key Works and Archive Materials
The Truss Wall House, their best-known work, resembles living sculpture with reinforced concrete forms like mutated shells. The exhibition includes hand drawings from a pre-digital era, described as 'slimy drawings' by Findlay, and 35mm slides on a vertical lightbox. The archive, donated by the families, is one of the largest in RSA history.
Findlay's Career and Legacy
Findlay, who died in 2014 aged 60, was the first female architect to become a Scottish academician. After her marriage and partnership with Ushida ended, she returned to teach in Dundee. She suggested Kengo Kuma for the V&A Dundee design. Later projects included a thatched pool house in the Chilterns and a starfish-shaped beach palace in Qatar. She also worked on the ArcelorMittal Orbit for the 2012 Olympics.
Exhibition Details
The exhibition, 'Ushida Findlay: Unbroken Spaces', is at V&A Dundee. It presents a chronological archive of the partnership's work, with magnifying glasses for detailed viewing. Findlay's unconventional path from rural Scotland to Tokyo is highlighted, along with her defiance of architectural conventions.
