Architectural History & Theory: Critique
Assessment 1: Obituary
Yichuan Gao 11559566
OBITAURY
Kazuo Shinohara（1925-2006）
The famous Japanese architectural practitioner and educator, he was working
in the Tokyo Institute of technology. Lots of the most influential architects in
Japan are his students, for example, Toyo Ito and Hasegawa Itsuko. Kazuo
Shinohara was the most watched residential architect; he tried to put the
prototype of traditional Japanese space into modern architecture by means of
abstraction. He was born in 1925 in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, and graduated
from Tokyo Institute of technology in 1953 and going on to become professor
in 1970. His study of Japanese traditional architectural space, and practice in
his 60-70s residential buildings, He established his own practice in 1954, going
on to design more than 30 residential buildings, as well as many key public
buildings across Japan. For instance, House in Kugayama 1954 and House in
White 1966. Influenced by Kazuo Shinohara, architects who could combine with
space and philosophy are called “Shinohara School” or “ Episteme School”.
Three architectural spaces and four styles
1964, “Japanese Architect” published Shinohara’s article, which is “Three
Original Spaces”. This article illustrates theoretical foundation of architecture
that includes functional space, ornamental space and symbolic space; all these
three spaces constitute the basic form of the value of architecture.
Four essential design styles are central to Kazuo’s 50 years career from 1956
to 2006. At a time when Japan was struggling after WWII, Kazuo pointed out
the homes should express beauty and he focused on residences. He
maintained that a house is a work of art. For example, some of his most
significant early works, grouped together in Style 1, explore absolute tradition,
inspired by the pure cubic core of all Japanese dwellings. Kazuo’s work evolved
from this base in custom and heritage. In Style 2, we see linear forms and
simpler shapes appear within his work. One renowned piece, “The
Uncompleted House” (1970), comprised part of the “cracked series” of
architectural spaces, reflecting both Japan's decadent social climate and a
personal shift in design. His residences grow even more minimalist in Style 3,
at times fusing with the surrounding natural environment. In “Tanikawa House”
(1974) for example, Kazuo balances a sloping bank of earth against
complimentary diagonal lines. There are some key words in style 4, which are
progressive anarchy, modern & next and random noise. One of most
representative building in style 4 is TIT Centennial Hall (1987).
From mathematics to architecture, from drawing assistant to independent
design studio, from the first work Kugayama House published in 1954 to House
in Tateshina Project dead in 2006, in his half-century architect career, his
“radical” is not only reflected in the logic of obsession, but also in he courage
with his own theory to against himself. This was his attitude for arts: art’s mother
is floating in the human internals’ chaos; in terms of clear mood and emotion,
art is unnecessary.
There is no doubt that Kazuo has always been an exceptional figure on the
Japanese architecture scene. He leads us on a disenchantment of Japanese
styles, only to then reassemble his methodology. He forgot to take the answers
to his puzzle with him: those answers still await us where he left them.
Reference:
Knabe, Christopher.N, Joerg R., 1999. Shaking the foundations: Japanese
architects in dialogue. 1st ed. New York: Munich; New York : Prestel,.