One of Japan’s greatest architects, Kisho Kurokawa, died last week leaving behind a very significant theoretical and concrete legacy.
Kurokawa co-founded the Metabolist movement in 1960, pioneering a radical avant-garde style of architecture and urban planning for the future. The Metabolists’ vision centred around vast cities that adapted to an ever-increasing population by building flexible, extendable structures that could be added to over time.
His first and arguably most notorious existing embodiment of these principles is the Nagakin Capsule Tower, Tokyo, built in 1970. The concrete structure consists of removable clip-on components which, together with Sony’s Osaka headquarters of 1972, were clear ancestors of Rogers and Piano’s Pompidou Centre, and Rogers’ Lloyd’s building.
Following his theories of Metabolism, Kurokawa later propagated the philosophy of Symbiosis in architecture, also the title of a book he wrote in 1987 delineating his theories. Symbiosis in architectural terms to Kurokawa meant that buildings shouldn’t be viewed as mechanical structures in isolation of each other but should instead work together advantageously as living, breathing entities. These principles are best on show in his larger projects notably the National Art Centre in Tokyo (2005), the Zhengdong new district in China designed to inhabit 150,000 people, and his master planning for Astana, Kazakhstan’s new capital.
As an architect and theorist, Kurokawa will best be remembered for elevating post-war Japanese architecture into post-modern realms. Always mindful to incorporate Japanese social and historical tradition into his work, at the same time Kurokawa continually sought to push the boundaries of established ways of viewing architecture, seeking to make it as relevant as possible to the changing constraints of modern needs.
Architect: Kisho Kurokawa
I was looking for a reference of the building in the 1st photography in his website, and I didn’t find anything. Do you know its name? Thanks
Shizuoka Press & Broascasting Building. Kenzo Tange, 1967.
Thanks. I was getting crazy looking for it… I like this building. It’s really suggestive to me (and I really ignorant to me)
Is this what you are looking for?
http://www.kisho.co.jp/page.php/248
Once i make my millions, i’m gonna build my house just like that first image
the second image isn’t a great advertisement for the movement. I’d feel like i was living in a jumbo tumble dryer. the 1st one is interesting. kind of like shipping containers stacked on shelves.
the first image suggest symbiosis to the host (giant pillar), parasitic to the context..
Love the blog, if i may ask, what software are you using? how much does it cost? where do you get it? If it’s not a secret email me some details wouldya?
thanks in advance!
The first building on the first image is not done by Kisho Kurokawa. It was done by Kenzo Tange. Why is it under Kurokawa’s work????
Thanks for using my photo, but not even a credit?
Also, why *do* you have a Kenzo Tange building shown above?
thats wonderful inovation of the 21st century keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Прикольное решение проблемы с жильем, даешь в китай побольше квартирок ))))
tht is awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
She has a charm that is slightly reminiscent of the childhood favourite Rosie
and Jim’s Ragdoll, with a modernized interior to suit the 21st century traveller.
For instance at a time when anglers where sticking rigidly
to the mantra of 3 to 5 milliliters of flavour, plus 1 to 2 milliliters of intense sweetener to a pound of base mix or more, as measured by 4 large eggs or 6 medium
eggs as a basis of measurement, I tried other approaches and reaped big rewards against much more experienced anglers.
The exception to this rule is when fishing structure,
there will always be a calm spot behind structure that cat
fish rest in and it will be natural for your bait
to settle in this area.