DESIGNWORKS Vol.03

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diversity can be seen as various influences can be absorbed, but conversely it can be said that color is not seen. Within this, I think what I recognize as common within the landscapes of works I have seen today is a vagueness. Whether unconscious or not, but there appears to be a line drawn that says to deviate from this position is wrong. For example, this is the case in the Raku Kichizaemon-Kan. We should not say with respect to a landscape that is broken in some way, that it is broken so there is simply nothing that can be done about it. Our thinking should start from the point of view of correcting the broken part, or of regenerating it, or considering what role the building can play. Mikami Building is similar. In the designer's explanation the words "it is maybe a little heavy" expressed everything. However, it would have been good to recognize that the cityscape of the site was broken, and consider altering the pace accordingly, but this was not done. Cityscape cannot be created, even if made by one person, so Mikami Building has rather a strong type of criticism. Design individuality comes from having an original wish or ideal, and determining how to design to achieve this. I felt that this awareness is common to all the works. If you ask me, what both Shinohara and Koolhaas have in common is an awareness of seeking optimum solutions that have a different balance, and I feel that simply sort of packing in the various currents of modern architecture is a slightly different stance. Within the restrictions of the landscape, today's expressions can only allow a designer to show one ideal form, or "if possible I want it like this". Everyone is grasping for this type of ideal and its limitations. But this is not the mainstream of today's modern architecture. I think that this trend is one properly indicated response, in the present circumstances in which unreal works are being produced.Interviewer: In the case of studio architects a particular style is inevitably sold, but do you think that an organization that can accept diversity presents a middle way?Iijima: However, the middle way must definitely not be mediocrity, and that is the difficulty. In this respect perhaps a design organization like Takenaka's Design Department has the possibility to go to original ideas. In lecturing at university on modern architectural history both in Japan and abroad, Takenaka Corporation has a bright image and history in design for the National Theater and the Nikkatsu Kokusai Kaikan after the war, and in the lessons I show the students slides and discuss Takenaka Corporation together with Seiichi Shirai. One thing that is often said is that in the 60s there were two major competitions, the Kyoto International Conference Center and the National Theater. In both cases the motifs of the buildings that were made were Japanese. This was perhaps a requirement of the times, against a background of controversies regarding tradition and metabolism. I think that the Takenaka Design Department, which was in the forefront of that era, has an organizational color that has been handed down from their predecessors. It is very interesting how organizational color and tradition are positioned and handed down in today's design workplace.Interviewer: What are your expectations for the future of the Takenaka Design Department, in terms of the continuation of the tradition in this manner, or regarding the several works you saw today?Iijima: What I would like to see is not flattery of the landscape within the landscape, as we saw in these works, and also not a battle with the landscape, but rather a balanced sense of searching for what are the possibilities, and to continue this on into the future. Takenaka is very polished, stable, and reliable in this respect. This polished feeling is seemingly easy but it is not. When asked to do it for real, it can't be done. I think this is an extraordinary design skill. This is not about one person's capability, but also maybe includes part of what is handed down as an organization. One other point, that completely contradicts the previous point, is that the organization should include at least one person that runs ahead, a person that flies. A society that allows this is a safe place I think. It would be good if there was at least one such person in Tokyo, and one such person in Osaka.Interviewer: Thank you very much for giving us so much of your time today.(Interviewers: Shinsuke Utsumi, Taro Yonemasa, Atsushi Shiraishi, Shin Yokobori, Shin'ichi Kaku, Takumi Shigeno and Nobuhito Manabe)*1 MVRDV: Established by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries in 1991. Representative works include "The Dutch Pavilion Expo 2000," "Snow-Land Agrarian Culture Center, Matsudai," "Gemini Residence, Copenhagen," etc.*2 Rem Koolhaas: Born 1944 in Holland. Established the design office OMA in 1975. Representative works include "EDUCATRIUM," "Seattle Central Library". Main writings include "Delirious New York," "S,M,L,XL" etc.*3 Peter Eisenman: Born 1932 in America. Architect, educator. Representative works include "Wexner Center for the Arts," "Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe," "Cardinals Stadium" etc.*4 Zaha Hadid: Born 1950 in Iraq. Established Zaha Hadid Office in 1980. Representative works include "Vitra Fire Station," "Bergisel Ski Jump," "BMW Central Building" etc.*5 Flatness: Thomas Friedman's book "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century" explains that the world's economy has become integrated by information technology and globalization.*6 Herzog & de Meuron: Established in 1978 by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Representative works include "Tate Modern," "Prada Boutique Aoyama," "Beijing National Stadium" etc.*7 Peter Zumthor: Born in 1943 in Switzerland. Established design office in 1979. Representative works include "Saint Benedict Chapel," "Therme Vals," "Art Museum Kolumba" etc.Sagawa Art Museum Raku Kichizaemon-KanYoichi Iijima / Architectural critic1959Born in Tokyo1983Graduated from Department of Architecture, Waseda University1985Completed master's degree course in Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda UniversityAfter being a part-time lecturer at Shibaura Institute of Technology, etc., became professor at Department of Environmental Design, Tama Art University.Photograph: Takashi HatakeyamaInterview