#46 February 21, 2022
“Gendai Kenchiku Sengenbunshu 1960 – 2020” (Collection of Statements on Contemporary Architecture) (Shokokusha) published by Taro Igarashi and Tatsuya Kikuchi contains two chapters on my writing, something which made me quite happy. In addition to the two chapters on my writing, this 50-chapter book of architectural history (propaganda) contains three chapters on the writing of Arata Isozaki and Fumihiko Maki, two chapters on the writing of Kisho Kurokawa and Kiyonori Kikutake, and the remaining chapters on the writing of various other architects.
One of my two essays was “Breaking Things Down Into Particles” which I wrote for “Anti-Object” (2000). From here, it speedily moved onto to the media theory of Beatriz Colomina and materialism of Gilles Deleuze, while briefly summarizing the methodology of KKAA in the early stages after that (2000 and after).
The other writing was “From Paddock to Karaoke” which I contributed as the preface for the April 2006 edition of Shin-Kenchiku. “10taku” (play on words of the word for house) (1990, Chikuma Shobo) which was my debut as a writer was a spoof on the culture of architecture in Japan related to the creation of housing design which has been mythicized. Ever since then, I have scribbled various critiques on architecture from time to time as a way to relieve stress. “From Paddock to Karaoke” was in a way a summary of such pieces that I have written, which makes me laugh a lot, even now, indicating that this critique remains relevant today.
At the same time, this situation makes me think about how things will change after the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Architects have apparently become something like youngsters who simply like singing at Karaoke bars, rather than professional singers who are revered by society because of their skills and ideas, and this trend may continue to evolve. However, the coronavirus may even take away the venues for architecture-loving young people to enjoy their singing.
ProjectsFufu Nara
Fufu Nara is a small luxury hotel located in the corner of Nara Park, across from of one of Nara’s most distinctive scenic landmarks, Sagi-ike and Ukimido. During the Taisho period, temple structures from the Middle Ages were readapted into tea rooms and gardens, embodying the notion of “Teioku Ichinyo”, a harmony between architecture and garden. By prioritizing respect for nature, the viewer’s experience of the gardens are enhanced. These newfound experiences of garden gazing transformed Nara into a cultural hub for intellectuals. In this project, we attempt to inherit and modernize the spirit of “Teioku Ichinyo,” by viewing architecture as an integral part of the garden. The site between Kasugayama Primeval Forest and Nara Park, was originally lush with camphor trees and dense bamboo groves. By positioning the accommodation facilities above the sloped site and restaurant facilities below, we preserved the forest in between the two facilities, yielding adjacent gardens. The building footprint is very considerate of the site conditions, weaving between existing trees and minimizing the roof height as much as possible. The roof, composed of traditional ceramic tiles and patinaed copper shingles compliment the deep green of the forest. The exterior facade is clad with Yoshino cedar “Yamatobari” paneling and lattice work, masking the volume with shadow; comparable to the depths of traditional ink. The architecture blends into the background of the bamboo grove, thrusting the garden into the forefront. Read MoreProjectsStudent Dormitory Grand Morillon
This brief requested a proposal for a 700 beds student housing building. Besides the various types of apartments, there was the need of public and common spaces – common kitchens, laundry rooms, sports facilities, library, study areas, cafeteria, etc.- We wanted to avoid the usual vertical program segregation (of public facilities on the ground floor and apartments on the above floors) that heavily depends on elevator circulations. Instead, we proposed an ascendant promenade “carved” into the building’s volume, which would allow pedestrian access to all floors, from the ground floor all the way up to the rooftops. All the necessary public facilities would be allocated along this promenade. In this way, the architecture encourages a more walking-conscious lifestyle and provokes encounters between its inhabitants. The hope is to offer a community-like experience to all these hundreds of students who will be coming from very different origins and that will be cohabitating here for the years to come. Read MoreProjectsToyoma Kaikokan
Miyagi Prefecture’s town of Toyoma in Tome City is the castle town that used to belong to Sendai Clan until Edo period. The town is now rebuilding the townscape of old samurai residences, and we are designing a museum to be built at the corner of the street, to exhibit objects that tell the history of Toyoma and culture of samurais. We divided the body of the museum into smaller volumes, so that human-friendly scale of samurai houses could be restored. We also got an inspiration from the phenomenon that hiwadabuki (hinoki bark thatching) roofing would turn green because of the moss that grows with the passage of time. Here in the project, we combined of local stone and greening roof. Read MoreProjectsShibuya Scramble Square
We were commissioned to design Shibuya Scramble Square. Located above Shibuya station, this high-rise tower symbolizes the new urban redevelopment, “multi-functional city=Shibuya”. Located at the intersection of a multitude of paths (pedestrian paths, 3 major railways, highways, waterways etc.,) the project responds and adapts to the speed and quality of the flowing paths. By cutting and expanding the overall form in response to the movement of different paths, the curtain wall mullions shift accordingly and express the movement. The façade lands gently towards the ground, opening up and seamlessly connecting the flows to the city. The facade also responds to the dynamic quality of Shibuya, by applying ceramic printing typically done on the interior face of glass to the exterior face to create more depth in its expression. We also attempted to blend landscape and the tower together, by using a gradient of green walls on the southern façade and in the wood deck on the top floor. This project takes on the qualities of the dynamic and fast-paced nature of Shibuya, known as the city for the youth. Read MoreProjectsKyoto Yudo Pavilion
We designed a temporary fabric pavilion that floats in the bamboo grove of a temple in Kyoto. Flat “Tyvek" sheets were woven into a three-dimensional structure, and a bathtub was placed underneath this “fabric architecture" to create a semi-outdoor bath, where visitors could play with the hot water in the filtered light. Hence, a simple flat surface was transformed into a three-dimensional "architecture". The method of using the surrounding live bamboo as a support for the cloth is "defeated architecture" itself, as the white cloth sways when the wind blows. Read More