Signals & Stats

Forests installation by Asif Khan and MINI LIVING at the London Design Festival 2016

LDF 2016 Preview: The in-between

London – MINI is partnering with Asif Khan to explore the potential of the liminal spaces between work and home life.

The rooms are inspired by the Japanese concept of shinrin yoku (forest bathing)
The three spaces, Connect, Create and Relax, will be located around the Shoreditch area

Asif Khan has created his plant-filled ‘spaces between spaces’ using translucent walls to integrate the foliage into the fabric of the city during the London Design Festival. Connect, Create and Relax all play on the Japanese concept of shinrin yoku (forest bathing), a belief in the health benefits of being immersed in the forest. This concept is recreated for the visitor within the rooms, which have been designed specifically to enhance sensory experience.

Each space is accessible to the public throughout the festival and has been adapted to serve its own specific purpose within the spheres of work and domestic life. Connect focuses on enabling meetings and catch-ups through a large communal table that acts as a focal point, while Create promotes productivity and Relax offers a space in which to take a step back and relax.

Mini has been instrumental in the discussion around future city living, a conversation that it initiated earlier this year with its Mini Living installation at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2016.

The Big Picture

As the concept of the office evolves to meet the demands of modern working life, brands are looking to create Empathetic Environments that focus not just on results but also on the emotional experience of being at work. Check back for live updates on the London Design Festival throughout this month.