Concept : Dancing Bubbles

Nursing home Shinjuen is in the middle of flourishing green surrounding, located in Kawagoe-City, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo. It is a designated facility providing nursing care services for the elderly. Shinjuen aims to provide comfortable environment for the elderly, together with day service and home care service, support an enriching lifestyle for the people in the community. Refurbishment took place in the lounge area and cafeteria, where these spaces are intended to bring family together and creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.

In the lounge area, colorful bubbles are dancing in the air above chairs and sofas colored in shades of green, which give image of green grass and soap bubbles floating in the park on sunny days. The colorful dancing bubbles are visible from the entrance of Shinjuen, leading visitors inside. These bubbles are in the form of 45 mobiles consisting of 225 spheres in 15 colors creating gentle circular motion in the air. The lounge connects to the cafeteria, weaving workshop, and other spaces, inviting visitors around. In the cafeteria, the dining chairs are colored in shades of blue, reminding of the clear blue sky. The colorful mobiles are visible from the cafeteria through the floor to ceiling height white box shelves, which also divide these spaces. On these white shelves are the handcrafted weaves and pottery art, made by the facility users.

Although being inside, the visitors are able to feel the essence of nature, such as the green, the sky, and the moving wind, being absorbed in the gently dancing bubbles forgetting all about the time. Invited by the colorful dancing bubbles, facility users and their families naturally come together, read books, drink coffee, and spend their own time in their own ways in this friendly and comfortable environment.