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Questions
Are traditional Japanese aesthetics still
present in the ever changing, innovative,
globalized field of modern architecture?
What factors have shaped their evolution?
Japanese adaptations
asymmetry
buildings layout determined
by topography
Traditional
materials
bamboo
straw
stone: building foundations
wood:
has absorbent properties and is widely available
used in all its forms (planks, tree bark, paper)
deep appreciation of its qualities lead to it being favored
despite foreign influences
minimally processed wooden surfaces change their
appearance with the passing of time and blend in
harmoniously with their surroundings
Traditional
materials
The Japanese have a
sensitivity to the qualities of a
material, a desire to enhance
them.
Traditional aesthetic concepts:
shizen naturalness
shibui an understated,
elegant beauty
daisuzoku or freedom
from attachment
(permanence through
materials is not attempted)
Ise Shrine
- Shinto values are preserved (purification of the space,
renewal of the power of the Shinto spirits)
- construction methods and associated ceremonies are
handed down to the next generation
- concept of materiality is absent, and a natural, cyclical flow
is achieved
Natures place
Shinto believe that man and environment
have an organic relationship fdo.
Traces of fdo can be found in cities
today where new buildings coexist with old shrines, but not in
utilitarian, large-scale domestic architecture which appeared as a
solution to the ever increasing post-WWII population.
Many contemporary buildings incorporate
the natural features of the landscape
(trees, rocks, natural slopes) and are
orientated according to them.
Natures place
Avant-garde designs in 1960s1970s still sought a connection to
natural surroundings and saw
architecture as a biological process.
Pervaded by a sense of peace and internationalization,
townhouses are popular in cities, whilst in rural areas the family
house with a garden is preferred. Vacation homes are built to
merge the landscape with the house, showing the presence of
fdo.
The bubble economy of the 1980s allowed for more extravagant
construction projects and gave rise to a tendency toward
extremes and excess.
uchi , soto
The Japanese home has traditionally served as a screen between
the inner circle and the outside world.
As organically evolving neighborhoods disappeared, the
construction of small urban apartments translated into an
introverted architecture that related to the city, a potentially
hostile environment, in a defensive way.
The microcosm of the modern
Japanese house allows residents
to isolate themselves from the
outside world, yet there are
experiments with open spaces
and many of these are
reminiscent of traditional values.
Gardens
Gardens were designed based on the Chinese model and served
to display status, entertain guests and contemplate.
Rock gardens (karesansui) and tea gardens (chaniwa) eventually
displayed artistic elements such as the interplay of the hidden
and the visible.
Gardens
due to space limitations, urban
residences developed tsuboniwa (small
gardens in inner courtyards), but they
are uncommon in today's urban areas.
in cities the dream of a garden
remains alive, as evidenced by
the lovingly arranged flowerpots
in front of many houses
there are numerous
experiments with incorporating
gardens into modern buildings
Conclusions
Japanese aesthetics were shaped by geographical, climatic,
social, cultural and political factors
The Japanese integrated contrasting native and foreign
elements of traditional and modern architectural design
fundamental Japanese concepts are still addressed today
Simplicity, elegance, minimalism and modular design are still
at the core of modern Japanese buildings,
many elements employed in construction and design are
reminiscent of nature.
Contemporary Japanese architecture:
currents of innovation, roots in tradition