Technology meets tradition

1. Juni 2024

Technology meets tradition

TOTO’s London exhibition shows the latest bathroom technologies in the context of traditional Japanese culture.

The summer exhibition TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION is on display the TOTO Showroom in London’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood from 20 May to 31 July 2024. The exhibition connects Japan’s rich history and culture with state-of-the-art sanitary technologies. It includes the installation of authentic zen gardens, a temporary tea house structure and the presentation of a collection of sanitary products. This gives visitors an opportunity to experience how Japanese culture informs and influences TOTO products, which are developed in this cultural context.

TOTO is known for their innovative sanitary ceramics. In line with the Japanese philosophy of kaizen, they are always working to improve and enhance these products to meet the highest hygiene and comfort standards. They use state-of-the-art technologies in their products to achieve these results, like the luxurious WASHLET NEOREST WX and the soothing Floating Tub. These TOTO design products are presented in the context of a Japanese zen garden, designed to promote calm and relaxation through its minimalist design. This is also part of TOTO’s philosophy of “Understated Presence” that the company pursues in its product design. They implement this consistently through three principles: user-friendly design that supports people’s bodies and souls in their everyday lives, aesthetic elements that create a sense of harmony, and a design of lasting beauty that unites usability with long-lasting aesthetics.

Japanese zen gardens are known for their clarity and peace. These carefully designed spaces incorporate natural elements like rocks, gravel, sand and plants in harmonious, often symbolic arrangements to invoke a feeling of inner balance and peace. Zen gardens have a very long tradition spanning centuries. They have become a timeless embodiment of minimalistic aesthetics and contemplative design principles. “My mission is to help people understand the five senses of modern everyday life through the Japanese garden,” landscape architect Emi Morita explains. She designed the zen gardens for the TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION exhibition.

Renowned London-based architects Squire & Partners designed an extraordinary tea house in the lower level of the Clerkenwell showroom. These specially designed rooms or houses (“Chashitsu”), used for tea ceremonies (“chanoyu”) in Japan, represent the essence of peace and harmony in traditional Japanese culture. These tranquil spaces are dedicated to this highly ritualised form of hospitality and appreciation for fine details, promoting a feeling of harmony between the host and guest. Squire & Partners created a modern version using special materials from the CIPANGO collection, achieving a minimalist aesthetic.

CIPANGO is a social niche company that brings architects, designers and other construction and design professionals together with Japanese artisans. CIPANGO represents traditional Japanese artisanal enterprises that reinterpret their traditional techniques for modern applications. The TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION exhibition shows the versatility, manual skills and transformative potential of materials in interior design and architecture. The collection on display at TOTO’s Clerkenwell showroom includes Harigane metal textiles, Youbi Hinoki furniture, Maruni wood carvings and works on paper, as well as Tatinoya wood textiles.

Visitors to the exhibition will experience a special fusion of traditional and modern aesthetics that give insights into TOTO’s innovative bathroom technologies as well as the timeless beauty and harmony found in traditional Japanese culture. The extraordinary aesthetic, wonderful hospitality, timelessness, dedication, perfect craftsmanship and design, and an appreciation for the finer details are aspects that can be found in both Japanese culture as well as TOTO’s products.

Düsseldorf, June 2024
Reprint free of charge/Copy requested

TOTO, one of the world’s leading sanitary ware companies, has an unwavering focus on people and their well-being. Established in Kitakyushu, Japan in 1917, TOTO has been developing, producing and marketing its comprehensive high-end bathroom concepts for the European market since 2009. The company aims to create a new attitude towards life through regeneration, comfort and hygiene, integrating technologies into their product designs in a smart, nearly invisible way. Japan’s leading manufacturer in the sector, TOTO offers a comprehensive range of products including ceramic sanitary ware, faucets and accessories. The company can now look back on over 40 years of developing and manufacturing WASHLET and has sold over 60 million units worldwide to date. TOTO supports the development of a fully emission-free society and is very committed to sustainability: By joining the RE100 initiative, TOTO Group will convert all of its facilities to power from sustainable energy sources by the year 2040. The company also received certification from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBT) to reduce greenhouse gases in line with the Paris Agreement, and to systematically cut CO₂ emissions further on this basis. TOTO employs 36,000 people world-wide.

Read more about TOTO online: eu.toto.com

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