Kengo Kuma creates 'Meditation House' with Jenga-like facade in Bavaria
By Andrew Manns 29 Apr 2019
The wellness space is located on a tract of woodland and is only accessible by foot. Credit: Photo by Erieta Attali
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has designed the "Meditation House" – a wellness facility and retreat – in the Bavarian woodlands outside Krün, Germany.
The 160 sq m outbuilding, which is only accessible by foot, is part of the 133-key Das Kranzbach spa hotel and features floor-to-ceiling windows, a tea room with artisan-designed tatami mats, and a meditation hall.
The look of the pavilion was inspired both by traditional Japanese wooden townhouses and by German chapels. The structure's facade, visibly its most distinguishable aspect, is comprised of 1,500 individual boards of fir wood.
This fact has led Studio Lois, a German architecture firm who collaborated with Kuma on the project, to liken the Meditation House to a Jenga-like low-rise.
In a description from its website, Kranzbach said: "We deliberately chose an architect from Japan. Meditation plays a significant role in the Far East, and Japan for hundreds of years has built houses predominantly out of wood.
"Architect Kengo Kuma is recognised as the master of combining nature and inspirational design."
The outbuilding features a tea lounge and an 80 sq m meditation room.
The structure's facade and ceiling are comprised of more than a thousand fir wooden boards.
The Meditation House also features a zinc roof, reflecting local church architecture.
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