if youre surprised by the wood exterior, you should visit the interior....now THATS dissapointing and different from the original.

i can hear them saying........well every project changes/evolves.......it is a long process......blah blah.........

Sad... I haven't seen in person... but I do have the book from Actar... the photos are hot.

I have seen the deck in person, and wood or not, it's put together with cabinet level precision - pretty amazing actually. What was more surprising was how succesful as a public space the top is -- it was fully in use by locals just strolling walking, running all over it!

Isn't it sad that it's "surprising" when a critically successful architecture project is also well liked and enjoyed by the public?

I was there last winter and I can understand why there were so many people strolling around. The interlocking planes and undulating surfaces give the feeling of a totally different world from Yokohama. It's like a fifteen minute vacation to go for a walk there.

What material was it originally supposed to be?

i have also been there a couple of times and there is no part of it that I find disappointing at all. As bothands says the quality of finish is amazing and the space on the top is always in use. It is a great place from which to watch the huge fireworks displays in the summer!

It is a really fun space and one I enjoy going back to. True, the wood has faded massively and that can there is a crisp colour change line where the wood is always in shadow and where it is exposed. Now that was surprising.

doesn't sound surprising that the wood has faded. that's what wood does over time when exposed to the elements.

i share ther opinion of "bothands", the wood was put together with handcrafted-limited-edition precision, and also that the public space works the best as any other building "who gives a public space to the city"(as some a$$hole architects dare to say, YOKOH's really work as a public space)...but yes the interior is most of time disapointing cause of the massive structure an the rough finish of it....but hey...keep blobing and making dynamic stuff...we r getting closer to build them as light as they look in renders....

never forget what mies said: "god is in the details"

the useless post:

FOA rocks.

polo for (aa) president.

mmhhhh u sure Richard???, lets keep Zaera-Polo in Berlage n let the AA get an "underdog" as their chair.... the AA had always characterized for being "breakthrough" or at least "innovative" n experimental...so i preffer that they get a out-of-the-spotlight name which can bring new perspectives n keep the whole "avant-garde"/redifine architecture thing at the AA, i think the AA will loose if they get a big [trademark] name....zaha, zaera, van berkel, even rem....

i know what you mean, but they also need a strong figure with a clear plan, because there are rumors of internal instability. regardless of wether those rumors are true, they damage the institution...i think they shouyld split the chair between a figurehead (a professional) and someone to actually run the school from an academic level.

at the moment, as far as the underdog are concerned, i don't really know who they could go for...

mmhhh... i dunno maybe some of the people involved in the DRL or the EM.TECH... young visionaire ppl...but i dunno, maybe that will get the AA sort of narrow visioned to design....and i think its a nice "balance" what they get with, theory, landscape, housing, etc...so who knows...

but again.... does the AA in this times needs a "strong figure" to receive some credit???, r they concerned of getting recognition in the "regular" architectural institutions area???

i think they pretty much had always try to follow their own beliefs

I agree with MADianito. the aa is always creating something new not using what is is stablished as new...if that makes sense...
about instability, well there is always gossip, architects love it and they also love their little feuds.
the only reason (and a very important one) that i would use to argue in favour of a star architect would be a financial one as i guess that it would help to attract many new star obssesed students to the graduate school who hope to learn from their gurus and get connected somewhere to slave for some years in their hope to shine like a star one day. But undergraduate students (foundation to 5th year) have a diferent attitude I think that they dont really care about a big name but about having enough variety of units to choose from every year.

Anyhow, I am going in a research trip to japan, is there anything else to see in Yokohama apart form the ferry terminal? thanks.

Moshen wasn't a 'starchitect' in any way when he got appointed chairman 10 years ago but the guy did wonders for the school before letting them down so badly....

no - stay in Tokyo for 'research'.

do go through the massive chinatown and up the Landmark tower in Yokohama for 'fun'.

ha! ok I will, thanks for that, I shall report on my return.

ludwig-

there is also an elderly housing project in yoko by sejima, but i didn't make it there...

back to the port terminal... i thought the translation from the rendered smooth surface to a more jagged surface built up from smaller elements is cool. We shouldn't be expecting a direct one-to-one rendition of the built work from the rendering. The translation's the interesting thing. But I do think the interior's too dark, they didn't really solve the natural lighting of that big span interior...

yup...thats why i NOW hate extremelly realistic renders.... is nmot good to trick clients like that....i think i would back to render in prismacolors or in watercolors....

or maybe hire some old-school(er) who can do them kick ass while i download mp3s to my new PSP n model next project in rhino, form z...n do the digital tricks.... still i think this guys watercolors would sell my ideas to clients easier......lol

actually...not "regular" clients look for n architect when they think they want something more artistic??? who knows....