MIWA - Gift Wrapping Club - interior

MIWA is a members only club in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres district of Paris. The architect designed the wood lined interior and this Japanese gift wrapping club specializes in a type of decorative and ceremonial gift wrapping called origata - an art form of elaborately folding paper to wrap presents. This art form originated around the 14th Century in Japan. Complex folding techniques without the need for glue or tape is practiced here. Furthermore, the paper is bound by lenghts of red and white twine which represents Yin and Yang, opposite but balancing forces.

When entering this private club, only a pale timber door is embellished with a logo to mark the club's existence with no window or other obvious signage. The architect was a carpenter before and used his woodworking experience to design the interior such as the wood clad wrapping chamber with timber bench. Inside a dimly lit lobby with black wooden walls, there is a 300 year old Cypress slab that functions as a reception desk. Fragments of dark grey slate from Ogata were used to cover the floor of the space.