Japanese Houses Reading Response 4: Made in Tokyo (Introduction, Method) / Kaijima Monoyo, Kuroda Junzo, Tsukamoto Yoshiharu

22 March 2020

Japanese Houses Reading Response 4

Article: Made in Tokyo (Introduction, Method) / Kaijima Monoyo, Kuroda Junzo, Tsukamoto Yoshiharu

Summary
“Made in Tokyo” is a guidebook that features anonymous “da-me (bad) architecture” that integrates unrelated functions within the same structure to create an ambiguous feeling of being “very Tokyo”. “Da-me architecture” are everyday buildings with aspects of “off-ness” when overlapping category, structure and uses; appears chaotic; but creates freedom in integration. These buildings are not beautiful, but are practical and economically efficient as it integrates unusual urban ecology in response to its surrounding and programming needs, instead of adhering to aesthetic, form, culture and history.

Land is expensive in Tokyo, leading to void phobia. Even tiny spaces are filled with appropriate revenue-generating uses such as vending machines and signboards. Cross-categorical integration creates efficiency by removing unnecessary restrictions. For example, transit-oriented developments maximized value of land around transport nodes and ‘regulates’ the mixture of human and traffic spaces. Although chaotic, there is still logic in integrating functions, which are ordered through physical than content, to create a gigantic agglomeration of urban micro eco-systems.

The “da-me architectures” are documented through photos, drawings, maps, nicknames and text. The guidebook is a suitable format to analyse the urban planning of Tokyo, which is constantly re-constructing itself, because a guidebook does not require a conclusion.

Opinion
I agrees that “da-me architecture” like HDB flats defines a city. I had explored Tokyo by different transport modes; each gives a very different view of the “da-me architecture”, thereby constructing a very different impression of Tokyo. In addition, the boundaries of Tokyo’s neighbourhoods are never clearly defined, which leads to various boundaries, which can be confusing.

Urban planning is subjective. Each piece of land can be planned for alternative uses and there is no right or wrong in deciding the use of a site. Developments integrating various functions within the same building is the way forward for land-scarce cities.

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Japanese Houses Reading Response 4: Made in Tokyo (Introduction, Method) / Kaijima Monoyo, Kuroda Junzo, Tsukamoto Yoshiharu   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Japanese Houses Reading Response 3: Tarzans in the Media Forest / Toyo Ito

12 March 2020

Japanese Houses Reading Response 3

Article: Tarzans in the Media Forest / Toyo Ito
• What is the Reality of Architecture in a Futuristic City? (1988)
• Dismantling and Reconstituting the ‘House’ in a Disordered City (1988)
• Twenty-First Century Curtains: A Theory of Fluid Architecture (1990)

Summary
Ito’s impression of a city is gained while travelling from the airport to the city centre; as this journey displayed the visual, smell, sound, characteristics and expressions of the city. Ito thinks Tokyo is a city with a labyrinthine interior, but without an exterior.

A city is designed and built based on an architect’s dream of a future city. However, urban spaces transformed repeatedly and could become completely different from the architect’s aspiration, but could still be futuristic. Films successfully visualized the image of invisible urban spaces of a futuristic city. The switch from reality into futuristic image resulted from the transformation of scale, movement, noises, spatial conception and time.

Tokyo is a consumption city and dwellers are increasingly dependent on the city’s amenities and spaces to satisfy their daily needs. Hence, the house is reduced to an idealistic concept, where urban nomads retreat for sleep and privacy.

Urban space is a space for flow of people and various elements. A temporary space ensured freedom. The contrast in urbanism leads to the creation of metaphor, which reduced architecture into its form.

Ito opined his architecture cannot be understood in isolation and architecture is an element forming part of the environment.

Opinion
Everybody remembers cities differently. The impression of a city is derived from experiences and memories.

I disagreed with Ito’s impression on Tokyo. Based on my personal experience travelling from Narita Airport to the 23 wards via the Narita Express, my impression of Tokyo as a huge metropolis reveals slowly as the train travels past the fields of Narita, suburbs of Chiba and the buildings intensifies till Tokyo Skytree becomes visible. This impression remains constant for every trip to Tokyo.

It is true that everything in Tokyo changes rapidly and videos of Odaiba do give an impression of a futuristic city.

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Japanese Houses Reading Response 3: Tarzans in the Media Forest / Toyo Ito   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Japanese Houses Reading Response 2: Reflection and Inversion / Hiroshi Hara

02 March 2020

Japanese Houses Reading Response 2

Article: Reflection and Inversion / Hiroshi Hara

Summary
Hiroshi Hara’s recent works are based on the paired concepts of “Reflection” and “Inversion”; quoting “light reflected on interior wall inverts the brightness of the space” as an analogy. Hara opined that “Reflection” is the simpler concept, while “Inversion” is more complex and requires violent manipulation. He achieved reflection with “Reflection House”, which is a successful step towards the realization of inversion.

Hara’s envision architecture to be an expression of apertures. Apertures liven up an enclosed space by controlling flow, communication and reflectivity between exterior and interior spaces. Halation through an aperture confronts the concept of darkness by producing a sudden inversion of brightness. The halation brings light into the interior, which becomes an expression of the outside world; whereby the brighter exterior is reduced to a spatial form of the building. Inversion virtually removed the façade to “expand” the house. This is of social significance because the dense urban fabric ensue no space between houses.

Inversion needs to reverse and replace traditional architectural concepts. An “Inversion House” aims to embed the city inside the home’s interior either through design or cognitively. An “Inversion House” needs to address the issue of a single aperture and air circulation to be liveable.

Opinion
Based on Hara’s definition, the shophouse typology is an “Inversion House”. The shophouse has narrow frontage, but significant depth; apertures like airwell and skylight inject halation and air circulation into the middle of the shophouse. In particular, the airwell inverse the interior into a courtyard functioning like a city square.

Although not a house, Hara succeeded in designing an “inversion arena” – Sapporo Dome. The retractable roof is an aperture that can invert the space. It is the first venue where ski can be competed indoor. The artificial turf and grass pitch can be switched in and out of the stadium.

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Japanese Houses Reading Response 2: Reflection and Inversion / Hiroshi Hara   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Japanese Houses Reading Response 1: Japanese Taste and its Recent Historical Construction / Isozaki

06 February 2020

Japanese Houses Reading Response 1

Article: Japanese Taste and its Recent Historical Construction / Isozaki

Summary
“Japan-ness” is an external gaze of an insular nation. The Japonisme craze in mid-19th Century Europe influenced artists of the Art Nouveau and Impressionism art movements. Interestingly, objects fascinated in Japonisme are everyday objects that are not considered as art in Japan; producers are also not recognized as skilled craftsmen. Over time, the obsession on “Japan-ness” shifted from material objects to concepts amplifying simplicity and omnipresent emptiness.

“Japan-ness” architecture began in 1920s, coinciding with heightened modernization and nationalism; and featured 2 distinct interpretations and styles. The first group included Kikutaro Shimoda, who used new techniques and materials to construct Japanese-style elements, producing the “teikan-heigo” style. Another group comprised of Bruno Taut and returning Japanese Architects who experienced Japonisme overseas and grasped the notion of “Japan-ness”. They integrated the essence of simplicity in traditional Japanese architecture with principles of modern architecture to create “Japan-ness” through concept rather than visual or material. In addition, there are foreigners like Frank Llyod Wright who misinterpreted “Japan-ness” and created cultural confusion by using weird materials and omitted spatial flatness.

After World War II (WWII), Kenzo Tange successfully integrated modern style with “Japan-ness” at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. However, the debate on “Japan-ess” continues.

Opinion
“Japan-ness” is indeed a concept, rather than material visualization.

Besides the overarching concept of simplicity and emptiness, “Japan-ness” also encompasses the zen concept of wabi-sabi, which embraces the beauty of imperfection and asymmetery. Wabi-sabi is exemplified by Kintsugi, the art of using gold to glue broken ceramics and accentuated the cracks. The Zenkai House would not be considered an architectural showcase without its connotation with Kintsugi.

Japan’s economy skyrocketed after WWII and Japonisme Nouveau conquered the world through fashion, J-pop, electronics etc. Japonisme Nouveau influenced a new generation of artists and architects who are still trying to integrate the concept of “Japan-ness” with modern styles.

Nevertheless, there is striking differences in the works produced by Japanese artists and Japanophilia. Non-Japanese artists seems to have difficulty producing the same type of simplicity without losing the sophistication in meaning and aesthetic.

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Japanese Houses Reading Response 1: Japanese Taste and its Recent Historical Construction / Isozaki   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.