Post-modernism gap of culture Kazuyo Sejima
“con”tinuous
Japanese culture
Fragments of the Earth Ethics
economics
Africa comprehensive
Congo
Eliel Saarinen
p (i) l o t
architecture platform « Interview »
Context
Hironori MATSUBARA
issue #3
// Dragoş MILOTIN // Alexandru SENCIUC // Alexandru VOICU // // Corina NICOLAE // Vlad TODIROAE
//
p (i) l o t architecture platform Bucharest, Romania
Project Coordinator Dragos MILOTIN Project Partners Alexandru SENCIUC, Alexandru VOICU Project Members Corina NICOLAE, Vlad TODIROAE
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p (i) l o t architecture platform is a communication and culture platform generated by students from the University of Architecture and Urbanism ''Ion Mincu'' Bucharest. The main purpose is to generate discussions among people with ideas and similar interests: Architecture, Design, Urbanism, Arts, Culture, Sociology. The environment is one of informal discussions. ''Spoken lessons, without formality, antiacademic without stylistic and literary ambitions, full of repetitions and the formulation of fleeting thoughts, interrupted by reversals which stray, strolling along the drawing boards.''* The p(i)lot magazine is a collection of articles written by students, professors and professionists which exclusively published within this magazine. It is structured in four points starting with the main one called Symposium, a public discussion translated into virtual space. The second point is the Interview which is seeks to bring the outside (in a broader social and often different cultural context) opinions, attitudes and examples. Concept refers to articles of interest which have new ideas, issues and current paradigms. In complementarity, Archive contains articles which have been published, forgotten, lost, although their content is still the current one. Using walls to bring down walls is an electronic public library whose purpose is to bring closer the information necessary to build an inspiring background to the p(i)lot project.The library covers a wide range of areas and is formed in a subjective way. We want this information to develop in the form of an exchange and our proposal interests you, we will provide you the right to post. Our team members organize and participate to numerous events held by important names in architecture and people who have a word or two to say in matters of art and culture, the conference will later be published in the "Events" section in a media format. The approach addresses a wider range of people, given that architecture has seen a boom in recent years at an ideational level and captured an impressive number of people.
The project targets students and teachers in first instance from the University "Ion Mincu'', but is open to anyone. We want to open your appetite for architecture and discussion between all those who are in this profession and not only in order to take advantage of this theoretical and media platform as a source of inspiration for future projects. In order for the project p(i)lot to succed anyone interested to participate in the construction of this platform is welcome in the community. If you have proposals or any comments do not hesitate to contact us.
p (i) l o t architecture platform
Interview #3 , 07.01.2011
Interview by e-mail Questions: The p(i)lot architecture platform team Answers:
Hironori MATSUBARA Principal, Beijing Matsubara and Architects, China http://www.bma.net.cn/ Professor at Keio University SFC, Japan http://matsubara-labo.sfc.keio.ac.jp You can see my works here, http://www.bma.net.cn/projects/projects_EN.html Our recent work (Y house) was introduced in wallpaper magazine here, http://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/interactive-floor-plan-y-house-by-bma-beijing/4294 ______________________________________________________________ 1.The Japanese art scene is one of the most present in the contemporary global art scene of today. It seems as though the word “Art” lies both at the core and the horizon of Japanese culture, almost like a circle; to be more precise the Ensō. But where and why does this phenomenon start from? I am sorry, I do not understand your question… 2.The new concept of the Venice Biennale is: “people meet in architecture”. It clearly makes a statement about a shift in the field of architecture(and by architecture I also mean meeting point for various other disciplines). What do you think about this concept and the Biennale’s new curator, Kazuyo Sejima? The concept is very clear and good. Sejima’s concept of VB represents her attitude to architecture very much. Simply speaking, her hyper modern architecture is attractive, so people meet there. 3.Context is a fascinating word. It is made of two parts: “con-”, which means “friend of ...”, and “text”, which sends back to “language” and “existing situation”. Thus, one can say that “context” means “friend of language” or “friend of existing situation”. It is also part of a phenomenon called Post-modernism, especially in architecture and urbanism. What do you think about this word and what has it evolved into? I always hope my architecture design is “con”tinuous with surroundings. At the same time, I always hope my idea is “dis”junctive with others. Architecture is a balance of both “con” vs “dis”, outside vs inside and friend vs self. 4.In continuity with the question above, there is quite a difference in how European culture and Japanese culture relate to context. One of the main differences consists in the aspect of physicality(for example the urbanism of Tokyo as opposed to the urbanism of the Southern France). What other differences are there? There are a lot. We are living in the fluid in the East. You are living in the solid in the West, for example. I think East is more comfortable, don’t you think so? 5.Furthermore, what do you think about the fact that some architects are inclined to take their inspiration from architecture that comes from another cultural background they might missunderstand exactly because of all the cultural differences(for example trying to apply Japanese architecture in Europe)?
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p (i) l o t architecture platform
Interview #3 , 07.01.2011
We can make use of the gap of culture, the gap of individuals and the gap of you and me. I agree these architects. 6.Architecture and urbanism are considered instruments that come in the aid of society, but history has proven that they can very well be instruments that shape and control society. This points out to the fact that the architect plays an important role in political decisions. The question is: does Ethics play a significant role in the architect’s work? Ethics is very important for our work. Since architects we can easily interfere in people’s behavior in the architecture planning, we should keep our ethics besides the economics. 7.You have recently participated in an exhibition in Romania called “Fragments of the Earth”. I believe that architecture today, at its core, is and should be a form of curatorial practice more than a form of art. How do you see architecture? Architecture design is a comprehensive activity. We need to create form (that is wonderful experience, anyway), and also need to do curatorial/research works (that is also…wonderful, I think) at the same time. We can, or let’s say, we should enjoy both. 8.It is well known that the Japanese educational system is one of the best educational systems in the world. But what about its flaws? Looking my students and comparing with foreign students, Japanese students are good at drawings, making models. They could have good team-works, also. But they are poor at communication with others, presenting themselves. And less leadership… That relates with education system, I think. We Japanese should be more self-assertive and willful. 9.In an interview on archdaily.com, Sou Fujimoto, one of the most vivid young Japanese architects today, said that the only real help of the architecture school has been to make him realize he enjoys architecture, everything else he has done on his own. And many others have said something similar. Knowing that you have come in contact (even only briefly) with Ion Mincu University, what is your opinion on how the architecture school should work? Architecture school should contact more with society directly. We can do practice in the architecture school except education and research activities. For example we, Keio University matlab, make the primary school in D.R. Congo Africa with students’ voluntary effort. I, as a teacher, arrange the connection between local Congo people and my students, then the school can connect with the society directly. Our Congo ACADEX project could be seen here, http://matsubara-labo.sfc.keio.ac.jp/projectsinprogress/caps02.pdf http://www.kajima-publishing.co.jp/sd2009/n2009.html 10.What is your opinion on this quote by Eliel Saarinen (Finnish Architect notable for his influence on modern architecture in the United States, particularly on skyscraper and church design. 1873-1950)? "Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context - a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan." Good phrase. It means to think contextual. I agree. We need the disjunctive ideas in ourselves at the same time, I think. 5
publisher’s acknowledgments The team of p (i) l o t architecture platform would like to thank Hironori Matsubara for the opportunity to publish this text
Context Hironori MATSUBARA
p (i) l o t architecture platform