A paper tea house designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban sold at auction in London last week for £31,700. The lot was one of many pieces of Japanese art and design being auctioned by Phillips de Pury & Company.

The house is made entirely from recycled cardboard rectangular tubes, as is the table and four stools in the main room and the customary bench in the waiting area. By including details such as the waiting area, Ban is keeping the design of the house in line with traditional tea ceremony practice.



The use of this material is characteristic of Ban, who made his name with low-cost disaster relief housing built out of paper and cardboard tubing and then went on to put the materials at the heart of his practice.

The special exhibition, “Kyobai: The Art and Culture of Japan”, included 122 lots in total, featuring contemporary art, design, photography and ceramic works from Japanese artists such as Rei Kawakubo, Takashi Murakami and Tokujin Yoshioka.

www.phillipsdepury.com

www.shigerubanarchitects.com