R O U N DTA B L E A R T I C L E
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LIVE-INCOMMON DOMAIN OF URBAN CULTURE
The project aims to envision opportunities of architectural platforms through collective researches and designs conducted in Asian metropolises. Perception of public in Asia is heretofore complementary to common in comparison to westerns, in the sense of its tolerance of controllability from the authorities. And private as well, more or less, a given consciousness from the western modernization, overwritten on the common of Asia. Today, we evidently find indications and the importance of the common is arising in our cities:
increasing movements to generate more flexible and humanoriented lifestyles, by overcoming contradiction between the public and the private. It is a strong challenge against old and rigid systems. The project will explore tangible city structure to intangible city culture. As the project develops, we think it may have ambiguous conclusion such as reaching to a turning points where this desirable movements fall into capitalistic money game or caught by nostalgic group dynamics.
LIVE-IN-COMMON:
DOMAIN OF URBAN CULTURE INTRODUCTION Common comes from the sense of togetherness, which is different from the typical meaning of publicness bounded by the legal framework on possession. Regardless of being inherited h i s to r i c a l l y o r j u s t c r e a t e d spontaneously, their complexity, flexibility and intimacy do not necessarily contradict private domains. It could be stated that future urban culture is generated in the common spaces, crossing the domains of the private and the public. Consequence to this premise, let’s strive to test the strength of the common. A street can be a common space. A living room could be, if you want. Then, how about your bedroom? And your bathroom? Indeed, no chance at all?
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FICTION :
“We live in a world ruled by fictions of every kind – mass merchandizing, advertising, politics conducted as a branch of advertising, the instant trans imagery, the increasing blurring and intermingling of identities within the rea free or original imaginative response to experience by the television screen. W in particular it is less and less necessary for him to invent the fictional conte writer’s task is to invent the reality” Koolhaas and Mau, S,M,L,XL, p.492.
slation of science and technology into popular alm of consumer goods, the pre-empting of any We live inside an enormous novel. For the writer ent of his novel. The fiction is already there. The
CHAPTERS What indicates ‘common or commonness’ in our cities today? How are they created? or in what context can we identify ‘common / common-ness’ to public/private space controlled by mass-capital and authorities? And what shapes or determines the meaning of tangibility and intangibility of common /or/ common space?
1. <Fiction> : Scope / Narration of finding tangible/intangible perceptions of ‘common / common-ness’ in an eye of a one and many (individual and public).
We believe reorganizing today’s urban ecology of ‘common’ space will advance our narration and understandings of ‘common / common-ness’. We are opting to find proper domain for “common / common-ness” by demonstrating and articulating our investigation in 3 different fields;
3. <Reorganization> : Act of design through deconstructing and reorganizing fundamental architectural elements to create playground for all commons.
2. <Adaptation> : Simulation of speculations which characterizes identity and programs of ‘common / common-ness’.
Compositions of our narratives will develop ecology of ‘common /common-ness’ into form of architectural fictions. It is maybe artificial or it may be formless. It is maybe superficial or it is maybe profound figure. But it will be in search of possible representations of ‘common / common-ness’ of urbanspace and urban-culture of today and tomorrow.
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LIVE-IN-COMMON: DOMAIN OF URBAN CULTURE ROUNDTABLE | The project aims to envision opportunities of architectural platforms through collective researches and designs conducted in Asian metropolises. Perception of public in Asia is heretofore complementary to common in comparison to westerns, in the sense of its tolerance of controllability from the authorities. And private as well, more or less, a given consciousness from the western modernization, overwritten on the common of Asia. Today, we evidently find indications and the importance of the common is arising in our cities: increasing movements to generate more flexible and human-oriented lifestyles, by overcoming contradiction between the public and the private. It is a strong challenge against old and rigid systems. The project will explore tangible city structure to intangible city culture. As the project develops, we think it may have ambiguous conclusion such as reaching to a turning points where this desirable movements fall into capitalistic money game or caught by nostalgic group dynamics.
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Politics | Economy
FICTION
FICTION | Scope / Narration of finding tangible/intangible perceptions of ‘common/common-ness’ in an eye of a one and generals.
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01
POLITICS
There was a small space next to the apartment entrance. It was too small to call an open space. It’s just a space. It didn’t get so much sunlight, and no green. So it attracted no kids as well. A philosopher living there said, “Let’s name it. Or no one feel familiar.” “That’s a good idea.” Other inhabitants agreed. Some representatives, who were the professionals of each field, got together and proposed names in their mind. But nothing was satisfying. “Ok then, how about asking for it from outside the apartment.” An architect said, hiding his ambition to make it an bigger cultural issue. “That’s a good idea.” Everyone agreed. In a few weeks, many names were proposed from all over the city. TVs and newspapers broadcasted widely. And that fame collected more names. Some political citizens proposed even slogans or manifests of the city, as they believed they could make the city better from this small space. The issue became bigger and bigger day by day. Then finally the mayor heard of the reputation and
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came to the apartment. “This space is already the symbol of our city!” He loudly stated. The inhabitants felt a little superiority with this dizzy situation, and the architect was certain of his success. Now the small space was the center of the city. But suddenly he noticed. Where is the goal? Who can decide the name finally? By which kind of authority? Who, in the world, can step into this uncontrollable space anymore? The space still has no name. Nevertheless, it’s overdosed with invisible thoughts and feelings, as if it was burdened with the whole destiny of the city. The architect is at a loss. Invisible boards, invisible banners, and invisible barricades. Now kids are playing inbetween those gaps. They are blind, indeed.
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01& 02
TEXT & COLLAGE <Fiction : Politics> by Hiroki Muto
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03
ECONOMY
A festival was planned in the courtyard of an apartment. No one knew what to celebrate (maybe someone’ s birthday?), but they just wanted to hold it. Several events were proposed, such as a market, a music concert, fireworks, and so on. But the courtyard was too small to hold their ambitions. And what was worse, they didn’ t have enough budget. A housewife said “You can use our kitchen. There is enough equipment. And maybe I can do some little business there.” Her neighbor followed, “Then I can offer my living room and toilet. It’ s quite decent.” A musician living on the opposite side of the courtyard was motivated to say, “You want a stage? My balcony is in the best place.” Then a guy living on the opposite (in other words, the upper house of the kitchen) joined, “Then my balcony is gonna be a theater box. You can even watch the concert with your body lying down, as it’ s connected with my bedroom.”
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After an accountant estimated the economic value of the festival and confirmed it to be an attractive amount, they started to persuade other inhabitants to join the festival. They all agreed, and several ideas were proposed then brushupped. Finally, the overall program was fixed, and there was no event held in the courtyard itself anymore. Now all private housings in the apartment became the venue of the festival and networked with each other through the vacant courtyard. Of course, the festival was a great success. The inhabitants named this festival “the courtyard anniversary” and held it annually. Since then the courtyard has always been kept clean while no one actually uses it.
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03 & 04
TEXT & COLLAGE <Fiction : Economy> by Hiroki Muto
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Participants / Contributors
Hiroki Muto & Associates
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