Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [38]
Isozaki Arata, an architect who originally worked under Tange Kenzō, also promoted the Metabolist style before later becoming interested in geometry and postmodernism. His work includes the Cultural Centre (1990) in Mito, which contains a striking, geometrical, snakelike tower clad in different metals.
Kikutake, a contemporary of Isozaki’s, designed the Edo-Tokyo Museum (1992; Click here) in Sumida-ku, which charts the history of the Edo period, and is arguably his best-known building. It is a truly enormous structure, encompassing almost 50,000 sq metres of built space and reaching 62.2m, which was the height of Edo-jō at its peak. It has been likened in form to a crouching giant and it easily dwarfs its surroundings.
Another influential architect of this generation is Hara Hiroshi. Hara’s style defies definition, but the one constant theme is nature. His Umeda Sky Building (1993; Click here) in Kita, Osaka, is a sleek, towering structure designed to resemble a garden in the sky. The Yamamoto International Building (1993) on the outskirts of Tokyo is the headquarters of a textile factory. Both of these buildings, though monumental in scale, dissolve down into many smaller units upon closer inspection – just like nature itself.
In the 1980s a second generation of Japanese architects began to gain recognition within the international architecture scene, including Andō Tadao, Hasegawa Itsuko and Toyo Ito. This younger group has continued to explore both modernism and postmodernism, while incorporating a renewed interest in Japan’s architectural heritage.
Andō’s architecture in particular blends classical modern and native Japanese styles. His buildings often use materials such as concrete and the strong geometric patterns that have so regularly appeared in Japan’s traditional architecture. Some critics contend that Andō’s work is inhuman and monolithic, while others are taken by the dramatic spaces his buildings create. The most accessible of Andō’s work is the Omotesandō Hills shopping complex in Tokyo’s Aoyama area (2006; Click here).
Fans of modern Tokyo architecture may be surprised to discover that Tokyo’s most famous modern building, the Roppongi Hills complex (2003; Click here), wasn’t designed by a Japanese architect at all – it was designed by the New York–based firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
TRADITIONAL SECULAR ARCHITECTURE
Houses
With the exception of those on the northern island of Hokkaidō, traditional Japanese houses are built with the broiling heat of summer in mind. They are made of flimsy materials designed to take advantage of even the slightest breeze. Another reason behind the gossamer construction of Japanese houses is the relative frequency of earthquakes, which precludes the use of heavier building materials such as stone or brick.
Principally simple and refined, the typical house is constructed of post-and-beam timber, with sliding panels of wood or mulberry paper (for warmer weather) making up the exterior walls. Movable screens, or shōji, divide the interior of the house. There may be a separate area for the tea ceremony – the harmonious atmosphere of this space is of the utmost importance and is usually achieved through the use of natural materials and the careful arrangement of furniture and utensils.
A particularly traditional type of Japanese house is the machiya (townhouse), built by merchants in cities such as Kyoto and Tokyo. Until very recently, the older neighbourhoods of Kyoto and some areas of Tokyo were lined with neat, narrow rows of these houses, but most have fallen victim to the current frenzy of construction. These days, the best place to see machiya is in Kyoto.
Farmhouses
The most distinctive type of Japanese farmhouse is the thatched-roof gasshō-zukuri (see the boxed text), so named for the shape of the rafters, which resemble a pair of praying hands. While these farmhouses look cosy and romantic, bear in mind