Shuka Iwasaki
keep in touch.
Where making becomes memory.
keep in touch. brings together paper-making, flower arranging, gifting and gathering on 298-302 Broadway, Newmarket. Reimagining gifting as an act of manaakitanga, it values time, thought and care above the object itself, offering an alternative to conventional consumerism. A paper shop, café, workshops and internal garden invite visitors to make washi paper, arrange bouquets and write letters. Inspired by the gift box and ribbon, the architecture unfolds as a journey from making to giving to memory, with curved forms, flowing circulation and translucent materials. At the heart, the garden offers a place for pause. Through a letter-burning ritual, visitors honour and remember loved ones who have passed, extending gifting beyond the present and into memory. Here, retail becomes more than an exchange of goods: making expresses care, gifts become vessels of memory, and architecture nurtures connection across time.
