Archinect - Brian Butterfield Travel Blog

latest adventures coming soon...

2010-08-17T01:12:36-04:00

Naoshima + The Inland Sea: Setouchi International Art Festival, Ando, SANAA, Turrell, de Maria, Lee Ufan, and others...

Hiroshima: Tange, Peace Park + Museum, and A-Bomb Domb.

Kitakyushu: Isozaki, Monorails, and pasta heads

Fukuoka: Rossi, Ambasz, Nexus World Housing, Jerde's Canal City (Pink Deathstar Post Modernism at its hideous best), street food and other adventures...

SANAA @ Night (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art)

2010-08-16T23:16:18-04:00

The Museum's free spaces remain open until 10PM. I believe it was a festival night, because there were fireworks in the distance, but also this place was completely deserted. Making for a great, rather space odyssey feeling night photo shoot.

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art - SANAA

2010-08-16T23:15:01-04:00

The total flexibility of the exhibit space here was really impressive.
I still have not figured out how SANAA gets away with such seemingly whimsical digramatic plans, but it really works.
The exterior pieces are very interactive and engaging to the public, and there is an entire free section of the Gallery open to the public until 10PM at night.
http://www.kanazawa21.jp/en/

Leandro ERLICH "The Swimming Pool"

James Turrell "Blue Planet Sky"

Kenrokuen Garden - Kanazawa

2010-08-16T23:14:35-04:00

Kenrokuen Garden is considered one of the "three most beautiful gardens in Japan" along with Kairakuen Garden in Mito City and Korakuen Garden in Okayama City. It covers more than 25 acres (100,000 m²)

Kenrokuen garden was originally the garden of the outer residence of Kanazawa Castle (17th Century). The residence burnt down in 1881 and only its garden remained. The garden was enlarged in 1774 and finally completed in 1822 by the 12th Maeda lord, Narinaga. The Castle is now rebuilt, though some of the additions are lacking in authenticity and give it a slightly disney land feel. That being said, Kenrokuen is stunning and an impressive example of how the Japanese garden is truly a skill of craft and tradition.

This Tea House hovers out over the water, a small arched bridge connects it to the restaurant structure on land. The bridge is just high enough for a boat and boatsman to pass underneath.

Kanazawa - Higashi Geisha District at night

2010-08-16T09:18:29-04:00

First night in Kanazawa was a sleepy one. These pics are from a night walk. The old houses in the Higashi Chaya district are immaculately well taken care of and at night it is quite eerie walking down empty narrow streets of traditional buildings juxtaposed with fluerescent street lights and glowing cigarette machines.

Daisen-in Zen Garden (Daitoku-Ji)

2010-08-16T08:18:52-04:00

Part of the larger Daitoku-Ji temple complex in eastern Kyoto, Daisenin is a small but very highly regarded Zen rock garden.
Daitokuji has an interesting history, tied to Sen no Rikyū who is the historical figure credited with the biggest influence on Japanese Tea ceremony customs. He worked with artisans and craftmans to design everything from tile teabowls to wooden sideboards and a number of small teahouses are credited to his design. You can read more about it here: http://www.zenstoriesofthesamurai.com/Characters/Sen%20no%20Rikyu.htm, though wikipedia gives a more thorough account for anyone who really wants to geek out on tea ceremony history.
There are some great catalog books that a coworker showed me of all the furniture and objects we know today as having tea ceremony origins that can be traced to Sen no Rikyū.

Also there is supposedly a great film about him, that I will make sure to see soon.
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/41439/Rikyu/overview?scp=3&sq=Sen%20No%20Ri...

Take Ivy

2010-08-16T07:02:57-04:00

It seems like every bookstore in Japan has had a run on this book lately. It has been out of print for some time but both a Japanese new edition and an English language version from Powerhouse Books recently sold out like hotcakes in both Japan and the States. (I guess original editions were going for $400 a few years ago.) My favorite bookstore here in Osaka, http://www.standardbookstore.com/, has a big poster on the front door saying "Take Ivy will be back!"

I flipped through the store sample copy, and it is pretty amazing find, I especially like the image of the young man parking his bicycle at the Saarinen designed Ezra Stiles College at Yale...check out the images below.

Of course in my google search I saw that the Times Style Section just did a slideshow of several spreads:

"Take Ivy," a slender volume of photographs, commissioned by Kensuke Ishizu, the founder of an Ivy League-inspired clothing line called Van Jacket, was first published in 1965, the yield of a fact-find...

Ashiya Fireworks

2010-08-16T06:52:16-04:00

A coworker here at Takenaka had a family friend with a boat and was nice enough to invite some of us along. The water was absolutely jam-packed with boats. Pretty surreal, great time.

Yale Katakana

2010-08-15T11:48:14-04:00

In case you need to know how to write Yale A+A in Japanese....
(Hiroshima Station, not sure what the Yale Yale A Building is but I imagine it is a masterpiece of Japanese Brutalism...though this website suggests otherwise, http://www.yaleyale.co.jp/ )

Divine (Spoiled) Deer - Nara Park

2010-08-14T00:08:10-04:00

According to local folklore, deer from this area were considered sacred due to a visit from a god riding a white deer. From that point, the deer were considered divine and sacred by the local shrines and the deer were given protected status

Killing one of these sacred deer was a capital offense punishable by death up until the mid 17th Century

Post World War II the deer were officially stripped of their sacred/divine status, and were instead designated as National Treasures and are now protected (as cash cows for tourism mostly it seems.) They have velvety antlers like Reindeer, and you can pet them and feed them crackers, though when you run out of crackers they will try and eat the t-shirt off your back.

Bite, Butt, Kick, Knock-Down!

petting deer - fascinating to all cultures...

Nara + Todaiji Temple

2010-08-13T23:52:59-04:00

Todaiji was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved from Nara to Nagaoka in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs.

Not only does Todaiji housse Japan's largest Buddha, but it is also the world's largest wooden building, even though the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple's size.

Pretty imposing, and after the numbing effects of countless temple visits in Kyoto, this structure renewed my sense of awe (and not just because it is gigantic). The carpentry, engineering, and design are very impressive, and the ability to partially redesign and reconstruct a building of this size, numerous times over more then a millenium and have this be the outcome is an impressive feat.

Oyamazaki Museum - Tadao Ando

2010-08-08T08:59:21-04:00

The Oyamazaki Villa is a 1920's Tudor style compound, that served as a salon for many of Kyoto's intellectuals at the time. The building is very nice, in a way it reminded me of Saarinens home Hvitträsk in Finland. Not in style, but in its layout. The Ando museum attached has some impressive features but is mainly just to house a small Monet Collection. The water cascades and the way the building flanks as impressive garden are its best features.
Good description here:
http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/oyamazaki/index.htm

Photos by the Tyler Zembrodt - The U Penn. Takenaka Intern (this was the first of several unfortunate camera battery/ charger mistake days for me.)
His blog here:
http://www.d-fab.tumblr.com

Suntory Time!

2010-08-08T08:33:40-04:00

Japan has some damn good whiskey, and if I was allowed to check youtube at work I would make sure this is the right clip, but here it is anyway,
For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_saLrADKqNM

This is the first barrel from the first batch of Yamazaki Single Malt ever produced (1920's I think).

After the tour we got free whiskey even though it was barely past Noon, I was game for one or two but most of the people on the tour put down 4 or 5 highballs in about 30 minutes - impressive and rather odd at the same time. Nearby is the Oyamizaki Museum, a european style villa with a Tadao Ando designed addition to house several Monet paintings.

Kyoto by Bicycle

2010-08-04T01:35:23-04:00

These shots were taken by my friend Chihiro on a daylong bike trip throughout Kyoto. The retro saturation and their overall moodiness captures the bizarreness of Kyoto, which really does exist in two different worlds. The historical past often tucked directly behind bullet train stations and tangles of electrical wires and generic hotel blocks.

Kyoto Station (Hiroshi Hara)

Kyoto Tower

Imperial Gardens

Kiyomizu

moss

Ando (Asahi Oyamizaki Villa Museum)

Lunch

Ginkakuji

FOOD

2010-08-04T01:11:33-04:00

Genghis Kahn (yes, named after the mongolian warrior)
Lamb, bean sprouts, noodles, veggies, cabbage, and other goodness. Cooked and served communal style.
http://en.visit-hokkaido.jp/foods/bbq.html

YAKITORI (Ragtime, one of my favorite little places in Sannomiya - downtown Kobe.)

Sannomiya China Town

Japanese Hand Planes

2010-08-04T00:41:37-04:00

The Takenaka Corporation owns and operates a Carpentry Tools Museum.
http://www.dougukan.jp/contents-en/

For a neighborhood festival in the area of Kobe that I live in, some of the master carpenters held demonstrations and gave lessons in how to use Kanna (Japanese planes). The plane being used is a Japanese plane, the plane with the two handles sitting on the bench is a traditional Chinese plane.

The Carpenters wife would make these incredibly delicate flowers out of the wood ribbons (the shavings are thinner than tissue paper, supposedly the real master can achieve 8 micron thinness, the width of a red blood cell.)

not sure what this tool is called, but it would make long curly-cue strands of wood that could be used with the flowers to make a bouquet arrangement. (see pics above)

Gaijin style (probably messing it up)

This little guy stole my head towel (a must have with the Kansai humidity) but then said we would be friends forever, so all was forgiven.

Job site 3

2010-08-02T00:00:00-04:00

Chion-in Hotel
The Takenaka corporation is currently building a new hotel at the Chion-in Gate, the entry gate (San-mon) to a massive park and multiple temple complex in Eastern Kyoto. Many of the temples are owned by private companies (many still the original family that was responsible for temple upkeep) and the hotel client is the ownership group of the temple complex.

The entrance to Chionin is through the two-story San-mon (main gate) and then up a steep flight of stairs. Standing at 79 feet (24 meters) tall, this is Japan's largest temple gate. It was built in 1619 and has been designated a Japanese National Treasure.

The gate is a fitting introduction to the expansive temple complex of Chionin, one of the largest in Japan and an important religious headquarters. At one time, the complex had 21 buildings. Because of fires and earthquakes, the oldest standing buildings are the Hon-do (Main Hall, 1633) and the Daihojo (Abbots' Quarters, 1639).

Chionin's temple bell (cast in ...

Kyoto Station - Hiroshi Hara

2010-07-31T01:13:44-04:00

Built in the mid-90's, Kyoto Station is massive and at the time very controversial. Even Hara himself has admitted that perhaps the deconstruction inspired complex was too ambitious for the site. Nevertheless it is a stunning way to arrive in the city of Kyoto.
The argument that Kyoto is a traditional city and should have had a traditional train station does not really hold water as a contextual argument, most of Kyoto, and especially this area, is chock full of modern hotels and business towers. Kyoto tower next door is certainly not a beacon of Kyoto's historical past.

Chikatsuasaka Museum - Tadao Ando

2010-07-26T02:52:22-04:00

Another Ando....Ando projects photograph really well.
This is a museum of Burial Mounds and all the trappings that go with burial mounds.

This museum is located in the mountains South East of Osaka in an area where there are a number of traditional burial mounds

I couldn't help thinking of Tikal...

...and so have to include this

Chochiku-kyo - Kouji FUJII

2010-07-25T02:16:25-04:00

Kouji Fujii was a lecturer at Kyoto Imperial University as well as the design Head of Takenaka's Osaka office in teh 1920's. (The house is now owned by a Takenaka Employee so getting to see it was a special priveledge) Influenced somewhat by Wright, this house is an experiement in how to make a modern Japanese house specific to Japans climactic concerns. It includes passive heating and cooling technologies in the form of earth tubes and passive roof ventilation. Completed in 1928, four years after Wrights Yamamura House.

I think looking at Katsura Imperial Villa, Wrights Yamamura House, and Chochiku-kyo together as a threesome gives a lot of insight into the Japanase design condition of the 1920's, as architects were starting to adapt modern Western design to a Japanese sensibility. This cultural exchange obviously worked both ways, with western modernists returning to the US and Europe deeply afected by Japanese design. Bruno Taut introduced Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius to Kat...

Gion Matsuri

2010-07-21T00:53:14-04:00

Gion Matsuri is the largest festival in Kyoto. It spans most of July and ends on the 17th with a huge parade, floats, and festivities. These photos are of the procession of the Mikoshi (portable shrines) that carry the deities that live in the Yasuka Shrine (the orange one in the photos below.) I am not entirely sure if that is correct but here is a link to the whole event.
http://www.kyotoguide.com/ver2/thismonth/gionmatsuri.html

All of the Mikoshi bearers are dressed in these white outfits and they stop every once in awhile and shake the shrine. There are several of these Mikoshi and people eventually follow them to the Kamagawa (Kama River). As with anytourist experience in Japan, the crowds were intense.

I particulary like the juxtaposition of the golden shrine with the golden glowing signage for the Lawson convenience store (basically a 7-11).

This little guy looks like he is not so sure he should be leading this whole thing.

This building is some bizarre Ronchamp inspired r...

Katsura Rikyu (Imperial Villa)

2010-07-14T00:13:54-04:00

Completed in 1615 and still mostly in its original (though refurbished) state. One of the few tradional villas to escape fire or other destruction. The entire site is a procession through traditional gardens with a series of resting pavilions, tea houses, and residences sprinkled throughout, all built in the traditional Japanese Sukiya style. Some of these photos I am experimenting with my cameras color filters (granted with mixed results).

(In Western Kyoto)

Shokentai teahouse

Onrindo (housing for the royal families memorial tablets)

Koshoin (main house)

Shoiken (country style tea house)

In some way the landscaping here reminded me of the work of Sigurd Lewerentz, mainly the Malmo East Cemetery. There is something similar in the peaceful eeriness of the composition, and the ordering of views where for the most part you are given a very intimate experience of the manicured nature in your imediate vicinity that then suddenly gives way to axial views, ending in distant landscape...

Yamamura House - Frank Lloyd Wright

2010-07-13T00:45:46-04:00

Built in 1924, one year after the completion of his famous Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The Yamamura house was a collaboration between Wright and two Japanese disciples, Arata Endo and Makoto Minami. The house is very clearly a collaboration, with the Western rooms remiscent of the Robie House or some of his later California work and the tatami rooms upstairs a curious mix of eastern minimalism and Wrightian decoration.

Good link here:
http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/yamamura/index.htm

(Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture)

Site Visit 2

2010-07-06T22:25:45-04:00

Korien Tower (Korien is about half way between Kyoto and Osaka.)

Many jobsites in Japan hang immense banners to beautify the construction site. These fish murals are actually the work of the Takenaka construction manager for this job. His side job/ hobby is painting and selling murals.

All towers in Japan over a certain height are now required to comply with one of three levels of earthquake resistance ratings. These ratings correspond to the predicted 500yr, 1000yr, and 8000yr earthquakes (similar to our flood rating system in the US and similarly confusing to me.)
This building is 8000yr earthquake compliant which means that the seismic dampeners can accomodate up to 90cm of lateral movement. For anyone interested in the science behind these requirements there is a good abstract here: http://www.ctsee.org.tw/出版品/200310/ee0401-02.pdf

seismic dampener (the building sits on about 30 of these, at every load point, and the the building is actually ratcheted down with massive anchor...

Awaji Yumebutai - Tadao Ando

2010-07-03T21:41:03-04:00

Tadao Ando designed Westin Resort and garden complex.

Awaji Island is connected to mainland Honshu via the Akashi Kaikyo bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Japan.

Yumbutai is is located on the hillside that was completely stripped for soil in order to make Kansai Airport (Renzo Piano designed airport built on fill in Osaka Bay). Ando's concrete landscape and gardens replaced the scarred hillside with a maze of pools, botanical gardens, amphitheaters, shops, restaurants, and what looks like a very nice and very expensive Westin Hotel. There is also an international conference center.

astronaught vent hoods

the best way to experience the building

fishing off an Ando

jelly fish (everywhere)

Site Visit 1

2010-06-28T21:26:42-04:00

On the way to the jobsite I shot this building. It is a good example of the number of stylisticaly uncategorical buildings that are remnants of the 1960's and '70s that make up a good portion of the Japanese suburbs.

Residential Tower designed and built by Takenaka. I will do a series of these site visit posts focusing mostly on the things that I have never seen in the US. The jobsites here are completely protected with scaffolding and netting enshrouding the entire building and the actual construction site is practically fit for children to play in. Broom swept after every task and equipment is all meticulously ordered and stored.

narrow side wall powder room sinks

Nice door hardware

Aerated prefab concrete panels (basically a tongue and groove shaft wall type system) that Takenaka uses extensively for infill walls that need fire ratings. They go up incredibly fast (as do all things built by Takenaka).

not entirely sure what this is, but the explanation I got was something a...

Sumiya

2010-06-25T22:17:45-04:00

Edo Period (1603-1868) Ageya

Geisha houses are called Okiya. An Ageya is a larger facility made to be a house of entertainment (performance), restaurant and salon. The Geishas would be summoned from thier respective okiyas to Sumiya to perform and otherwise serve, entertain and occompany the respected guests. This type of architecture is indicative of the rising merchant class in Japan at this time. Sumiya is the regarded as the finest example of Ageya architecture surviving today and once housed meetings of Kyoto's top artists and intelectuals.

(unfortunately no pictures were allowed upstairs)

bamboo bench at garden entry

fold down waiting bench

Kyoto

2010-06-18T20:03:54-04:00

Some of my Takenaka co-workers took me and the other two American Interns on a bicycle tour of Kyoto.
The highlights were Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu, both very recognizable from the guidebooks. Also made stops at the Imperial Palace grounds as well as the Shogo-in Gate, a very impressive wooden structure that is one of the tallest in Japan

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
The detail sensibility is the most impressive thing about these old temples, though many are mostly rebuilt at this point and not wholly original the sensibility and craftmanship remains the same. Originally built in the 14th century, this version is a rebuild from 1955 (after a fire set by a mentally ill monk, allegedly) and the current version includes extensive updates from 1984, '87, and '03. Each of the three levels is detailed according to distictly different era's of temple design.
(The rainy season is about to start, it rained for a portion of this day, and the treatment of water through the gutter details to ...

Tokyo - Day One

2010-05-30T00:25:16-04:00

So this is very backdated, but I wanted to get something up here. I will go back to Tokyo at the end of my trip to more Architecture related sightseeing. I was in Tokyo for 3 days before heading to Kansai.

This was a house on Daikanyama Hill, a very posh neighborhood in Tokyo. I have so far been unable to determine the architect of this particular house, but it was one of my favorites.

Kenzo Tange's Olympic Park

The Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. This is probably the most visited shrine (touristy) in Tokyo but it is pretty impressive. In Japan you have to get used to traditional architecture not actually being original. Most of the shrines and temples have a history of constantly being rebuilt, either after fires, decay, or in many cases destruction during World War II. This temple was rebuilt in 1958 with public funds (according to wikipedia.) This is something that I had heard but now have come across several times. Preservation in Japan is more about the methods used than preserving...

Gonbare Nippon

2010-05-25T23:47:09-04:00

I have some serious catching up to do. I have been in Japan for 6 weeks now and as tempting as it is to make this a blog about my nights watching World Cup Games at all hours of the night I will attempt instead to distill my experience here over the last month or so in terms of the architectural expereinces I have had on a weekly basis. I will periodicaly update this through the end of August.
The job so far has been more or less what I expected. Though the Takenaka corporation has over 8000 employees, and over 1000 just in the Osaka office, I am working in a team of just 13-14 designers. It is organized just like a small firm, the big boss, two team leaders, and then each leader gets 5-6 staff at any one point to put on different tasks. In that regard it has been fairly familiar as a work environment. Occasionally people present their project in its current form for the rest of the group to critique....so far it has been pretty good.

I was expecting a slightly looser schedule to ...