AESTHETICS Rf.I -~ OF JAPANESE WABI SABI YUGEN DESIGN (S UBTLET Y)

is a great influence in Japanese art , architecture ,

~t~ rdl furniture, product s and etc . The y are often ver y minimali stic in simple in de sign .

SHI ZEN MA Some of the principle s mentioned in thi s stud y are: (NATUR ALNE SS) (EMPTINE SS)

ANTI-OBJECT is the rejection of the work of architecture that is regarded as an 'object ' which is cut off from its environment . To create architecture that estab­lishes a connection with the external world and avoid objectification.

"(My philosophy) is not about erasing a structure, nor, of course, is it about causing it to stand out. It strives to re solve the connection between the structure and the place it sits in ." - Kengo Kuma

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AESTHETICS OF JAPANESE DESIGN & ANTI-OBJECT In the Katsura Imperial Villa , the moon viewing platform extends outward to the lake and also in the Water/ Gla ss hou se, the pool of wa ter to the ocean . Both uses the floor as an extension to the outside world.

The floor ad s as an expression ' Ma' as it ads as an interval which connects spaces of

different destination s; the interior and the exterior.

This allows a very natural connection with the environment which is considered 'Shizen'.

The water element also provides a feeling of calmness in the environment which is 'Seijaku' .

The assymmetrical balance in composition between the building and environment shows

'Fukinsei'.

H.iijiii+i!lf I (CO NTEMP OR ARY )

rnNNECTION WITH / APPEAR --- SH I ZEN BLENDED INTO NATURE (NATURALNESS)

EN v IR 0 NM ENT - CALMNESS (ANTI- OBJECT! SEIJAKU INSTEAD OF DISTURBANCE IOBJE[l)

~ '"""' "" ... ,_ HUMAN & NATURE IN COMPOSITION VIA ASSYHHETRY OR IRREGULARITY

(TRANQU ILL ITY)

FUKIN SEI (ASYMME TR Y)

PROVIDES AN INTERVAL/VOID THAT rnNNECTS --- MA THE PERCEIVER WITH THE ENVIRONMENT (EMPTINESS )

MET HOO ~PARTICALIZATION ~ (

CONN ECT ION _.-/ ~ ...--suGGESTION oF A rnNNECTION --- YU GEN SLATS TO PIQUE CURIOUSITY (SUBTLETY)

IMMAT ERI AL ------ ~ !SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF MA TERIALI TYI FREEDOM FROM THE NORMAL --- 0 AT s u z 0 Ku

HENCE TO INNOVATE THROUGH (BREAK FROM ROUTINE! UNIQUE MEA NS

NON-OBJECT IFI CAT ION .....__ ----(HOSENMATERIALISPRONETO --- WAB I SA BI

WEATHERING AND A NATURAL (BEAUTY JN IHPERMENANCE MATERIAL FROM THE SITE &. IMPERFECT)

SIMPLICITY VIA ELIMINATION OF CLUTTER -- KAN s 0 (NO OErnRATION) (SIMP LI CIT Y)

BEAUTIFUL BY BEING UNDERSTATED OR -- SHIBUI HUMILITY IN DESIGN (AUSTERITY)

AESTH ETIC S OF JAPANE SE DE SIGN

(VER NA CUL AR )

~t~ SHI ZEN

(NATUR ALNE SS)

ABSENCE OF PRETENSE OR ARTIFICIALITY

TO BE NATURAL IN ITS ENVIRONMENT

EARTHLY MATERIALS

~t~ SHI ZEN

(NATURALNESS)

JUXTOPOSITION OF ACTIC (NEW) AGAINST THE NAKAMISEDORI (OLD) OPPOSITE THE STREET

TRADITIONAL MACHIYA HOUSE FORM STACKED VERTICALLY

RELATES CONTEXTUALLY TO ASAKUSA'S OLD EDD ATMOSPHERE

TIMBER SLATS REFERENCE TO TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE MAIN MATERIAL

·~ SEIJAKU (TRANQU ILIT Y)

CALMNESS

ST ILLNESS

SO LITUDE

f;f.i SEIJAKU (TRANQUILITY)

THE REPETITION OF THE SLATS CREATE A SENSE OF CALMNESS WITHIN THE SPACE

THE SLATS FILTER LIGHT INTO THE SPACE CREATING A PLAY OF SHADOWS

IT ALSO GIVES A SENSE OF PRIVACY AND ESCAPE FROM THE BUSY STREETS OUTSIDE

FU KINSEi (ASYMMETRY)

ASSYMMETRICAL BALANCE IN COMPOSITION

ALONG THE AXIS OF ACTIC AND THE SENSOJI TEMPLE

rdl MA

(EMPTINESS)

INTERVAL

CONSCIOUSNESS OF PLACE

EXPERIENTIAL PLACE UNDERSTOOD

WITH EMPHASIS ON INTERVAL

rdJ MA

(EMPTINESS)

PROVIDES A INTERVAL FOR CONNECTING THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE ENVIRONMENT.

IN THE FORM OF A BENCH I EXTENSION OF THE FLOOR, A PLACE FOR CONTEMPLATION; A REST AREA, A INTERVAL.

-~ YUGEN (SUBTLETY)

POWER OF SUGGESTION

MYSTERIOUS QUALITY

NOT OBVIOUS

-~ YUGEN (S UBTLET Y)

SLATS CAN ONLY BE VIEWED FROM CERTAIN ANGLES AND CREATES CURIOSITY OF WHAT IS HIDDEN BEHIND.

ON THE HH FLOOR THE STAIRS LEADING TO THE OUTDOOR TERRACE CAN BE SEEN THROUGH THE BLACK CURTAIN VEIL CREATING SILHOUTTES AND PIQUING INTEREST.

THE STACKING OF MACHIYA FORMS CREATE A PITCHED ROOF WHICH FORMS A TERRACED FLOOR ON THE UPPER IS USED AS A MEDIA ROOM.

Bllfii DATSUZOKU

(BREAK FROM ROUTINE)

FREEDOM FROM FORMUL A

TR A NSCENDING THE

CON V ENTI ONA L

FEELING OF S URPRI SE

Bllfii DATSUZOKU

(BREAK FROM ROU TIN E)

THE SPACES IN BETWEEN THE ROOF AND THE FLOOR ARE USED TO STORE HVAC SYSTEMS WHICH IS UNCONVENTIONAL AND UNIQUE TO THIS BUILDING FORM.

THE METHOD OF 'PARTICALIZATION' IS A BREAK FROM THE NORMAL BECAUSE OF THE BREAKING DOWN OF A MATERIAL INTO SMALLER FORMS WHICH CREATES A SENSE OF POROUSITY WHICH CONNECT THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.

'We may say that Sabi applies more to the individual objects and environment generally, and Wabi to the living of a life ordinarily associated with poverty, insufficiency or imperfecti on. Sabi is thus more objective, whereas wabi is

subjective and personal.' - o. T Suzuki lmfi*:*tltl

Rf.I WABI SABI

POVERTY WEATHERED

IMPERFECT IMPERMENANCE

QUIETNESS BEAUTY THAT

SIMPLICITY COMES WITH AGE

'We may say that Sabi applies more to the individual objects and environment generally, and Wabi to the living of a life ordinarily associated with poverty, insufficiency or imperfecti on. Sabi is thus more objective, whereas wabi is

subjective and personal.' - o. T Suzuki lmfi*:*tltl

Rf.I WABI SABI

SLATS ARE MADE FROM JAPANESE CYPRUS IS PRONE TO WEATHERING AS IT IS LOCATED ON THE EXTERIOR FACADE.

OVER TIME THE TIMBER WILL DARKEN AND SHOW ITS AGE AND WILL BE REPLACED ONE DAY.

M~ KANSO (SIMPLICITY)

ELIMINATION OF CLUTTER

NON-OBJECTIFICATION

M~ KANSO (SIMPLICITY)

COMPARED WITH THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY, ACTIC IS VERY MINIMALISTIC WITH ITS CLEAR FORM AND REPETITION OF SLATS.

THE REPETITION OF SLATS AND MACHIYA FORM IS THE RESULT OF THE FOCUS ON THE INTERIOR; - SLATS AS SUN SHADING & PRIVACY FILTER - PITCHED ROOF/FLOOR SPACE PROVIDES SPACE TO STORE HVAC AND FORM SHAPED ACCORDING

TO THE FUNCTION OF THE SPACE.

~t~ SHIBUI

(A USTERITY )

BEAUTIFUL BY BEING UNDERSTATED

HUMILITY IN DESIGN

~t~ SHIBUI

(AUSTERITY)

WOODEN JOISTS ACROSS THE CEILING IS A HUMBLE NOD TO TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE

AND ITS CONTEXT IN ASAKUSA'S TRADITIONAL ATMOSPHERE.

GLASS RAILINGS HAVE ETCHINGS SIMILAR TO BAMBOO REEDS WHICH IS A RFEERENCE TO TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE.