Modern Japanese Architecture

To start off The Emergent Process project, I have decided to do some research by looking at unique and unusual architecture where it would of needed a lot of planning out to make it successfully work. I have decided to look at this as it links to the task I chose to focus on: Draw a way to make something, then make what you have drawn, then draw what you have made.

I have found quite a few artists who have created some very interesting, one off buildings which show that a lot more planning than usual went into making it work: because of the unusual shapes of the exterior and interior, that aren't typically used in the ordinary building.

Tadao Ando

Born in Osaka, Japan in 1941. He was self educated as an architect through his travels in Europe, Africa and the U.S.A. He is the founder of Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in Osaka, 1969.

4x4 House I was completed in 2003 in Kobe. It is known to be 'a powerful and yet extremely simple concrete house' set on a beach front measuring just 65m2.

 Ando: "The landscape framed within this cube is a panorama sweeping over the Inland Sea, the Awaji Island and Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, were thoughts and memories of the earthquake (1955 Great Hanshin Earthquake) are embedded, for both the client as well as for myself".

 In 2004 Ando created another building adjacent to the first called 4x4 House II. It was requested by another client who liked the first house. This one was constructed out of wood and is a mirror image of the first one.

"By creating a pair of structures resembling a gate opening out towards the sea but built in contrasting materials , that is, in concrete and wood, I hope to reinforce the connection of the architecture to the place".

The design of the houses are incredibly simple but effective. This is because it's made of two blocks - a long rectangular block and a cube block. But instead of the two blocks being aligned, the cube one would come out of the side slightly of the rectangular block. Also what makes these houses different from others  is that the rooms are square, making the space rather awkward as stairs will take up a lot. I quite like how the buildings are mirrored but are still different to each other as well, giving them individual characters- The wooden one seems smarter and clean, whereas concrete gives a bland, worn out appearance.

Another one of Ando's unusual shaped buildings is his origami-shaped structure for HHstyle.com/Casa, Tokyo, 2004-05. Because of Tokyo's 'sunshine law' of not blocking light of neighbouring buildings, Ando had to find a solution to still make his design stand out. He created the building to be ten meters tall made of dark steel painted with zinc-based primer fluoropolymer paint. The building has limited windows and because of the slight folds the light would reflect on some of the edges, enhancing how it's not a plain ordinary shape. The interior space of the building  is much more complex compared to the outside and also the 4x4 Houses: The ceiling would make sharp points and folds, keeping to the origami theme. Inside it also reminds me of optical illusions because of the use of metal beams throughout: loads of straight lines meeting at different angles.

Shuhei Endo

Born in Shiga Prefecture in 1960. He gained a masters degree from Kyoto City University of Art in 1986. Established his own firm in 1988 called the Shuhei Endo Architecture Institute.

The Springtecture O-Rush Tenpaku in Nagoya, made in 2005 by Endo, is a story car dealer and garage made with steel sheets and made up of two perpendicular bands The reason to why he used two perpendicular bands is that it was a way to create greater structural strength and to also allow for differentiated space.

Endo said that "Composed of continuous bands, the studies in 'Springtecture' seek to acquire an 'independence' of space as the continuous band moves to define floor, ceiling, and roof simultaneously. This continuity and reversal of the double-faced surface allows for a connection between outside and inside without any abrupt differentiation. As a result, 'Springtecture' achieves a variable structure of openness and closure, in contrast with the surrounding homogeneous townscape."

Compared to other architects who would achieve a certain fluidity of form though new materials and use of computers, Endo would use a common material, such as the steel sheets, and turns it into an unusual building. For instance for Springtecture O-Rush he leant the walls and roofs at an angle - some parallel to each other. The inside of this building reminds me of Ando's origami-styled store, with how there are metal beams creating slight illusionary patterns. The floor is also reflective, elongating the beams. 

There are also other architects I've seen in 'JP Architecture in Japan' which I found interesting such as Toyo Ito and his 'Tod's Omotesando Building', Fumihiko Maki and his 'TV Asahi Headquarters' building, and Jun Aoki and his 'Louis Vuitton Roppongi Hills' building. However, out of evryone I found a lot of inspiration from Tadao Ando and Shuhei Endo because of their unusual concepts of abstracting buildings and use of space. From this research I have also now come up with a few possible idea's of my own which will show influences from the artists I've researched - overlapping blocks, walls at angles, adding textures to create illusions.

Sources: JP Architecture in Japan by Philip Jodidio

4x4 Houses picture www.architravel.com
HHstyle.com/Casa  pictures commons.wikimedia.org & phaidonatlas.comThe Springtecture O-Rush Tenpaku picture www.tkbc.jp