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    For Rent: Ando

    By koboldstudios
    Jul 27, '08 4:26 PM EST

    My latest trip to Japan was fantastic. It dispelled much of the myth surrounding Japanese architecture for me, while raising some other questions.

    I stayed in Kyoto, which seems to be having problems trying to reconcile historicism in modernity, id est the city is attempting to return to the "Japanese aesthetic" by mandating that residences have gabled roofs and beige exteriors - at least this is my understanding of the current problem. This to me is problematic because an aesthetic does not necessarily respect tradition or culture. In fact, i feel that mere aesthetics are superficial and therefore fail the respective tradition or culture it [the aesthetics] is responding to as the image or surface can be easily created without actual knowledge of space or building techniques used by a particular culture. Of course, this argument is problematic because it can be seen as the "chicken or the egg" dilemma. What drives vernacular building techniques and regional aesthetics? Is it the materials used and traditional construction techniques, or is it a culture's aesthetic desires? Or perhaps it is an expression of both?

    I digress. The point i was trying to get at is this, Ando Tadao's HH Style is for rent in Omotesandou. See!!!!????!


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    • 10 Comments

    • Appleseed

      So what, HH Style moved? They had huge traffic for that type of joint-

      Jul 27, 08 8:00 pm  · 
       · 

      wow, i haven't walked down cat street for a while so never knew. is the sejima hh style closed too?

      Jul 28, 08 2:24 am  · 
       · 
      koboldstudios

      I think it was some high-end store that was comparable to Prada or something that was occupying Ando's building last time i was there. Perhaps it just wasn't drawing the crowds they had hoped? I don't even actual know who commissioned the building.

      As for Sejima's building, that's a negative. It's still up and running.

      Such a fantastic part of Tokyo!!!

      Jul 28, 08 2:47 am  · 
       · 
      Appleseed

      Nah, it was a high end design showroom. Fixtures, flatware, countertops, etc- Super spendy shit.

      Jul 28, 08 3:25 pm  · 
       · 

      Spendy or trendy? Although i guess the two are usually synonomous.

      Jul 28, 08 3:53 pm  · 
       · 
      koboldstudios

      Hmmm, weird. When i was there the Ando building was something like Gucci Home, or Prada Home or something that was home oriented and nothing that i could afford (or would want to buy if i could). They had couches, silverware, glassware et cetera. The Sejima building on the other hand i remember had more furniture that was much cooler, but still too expensive. It was stuff that i WOULD buy if i could. Anyway, perhaps since the Ando building is for rent and the Sejima one isn't we can deduce that some other company occupied the previous space and was selling overpriced Chinese things.

      Jul 28, 08 4:16 pm  · 
       · 

      appleseed is right. it was an extension of hh-style showroom, but with brand-name stuff that is less designy and more brandy, if that makes sense. i don't recall gucci or prada, but same sort of idea. i think maybe armani...?

      anyway, guess it was just too luxurious for that area (which is after all harajuku cat street, not ginza). nice building though. at least on the outside.

      Jul 28, 08 8:36 pm  · 
       · 
      Appleseed

      Yeah, they had multiple brands in there. I vaguely remember me some Armani bed linen. Perfect to go with your Armani table cloth + napkin set! They had plenty of hardware too tho-

      Jul 28, 08 9:25 pm  · 
       · 
      koboldstudios

      Armani is it. To be honest, I can't tell the difference between Armani or Prada or Gucci...which mean that I'll never be able to date Paris Hilton.

      Jul 28, 08 9:39 pm  · 
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      you can tell with prada...there is a distinct style. Used to be with Armani esp their suits but not so anymore

      Jul 29, 08 5:13 pm  · 
       · 

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