shadow and light
saule virbickaite
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1. Paper Church during the night 2. Exterior of the Church of the Light
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ight and nature have always been severely important in our everyday lives. They control people’s emotions and even behaviour. Nature is associated with calmness and tranquillity, perfect unity and balance. The lack of natural light can have an effect on person’s mood or even mental health. Light is an important symbol in almost all religions; for example, in Christianity, it is associated with kindness and good, it is the first thing God created. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Without the light there would be nothing, it stimulates our mind, it accentuates darkness and shadows give us the sense and understanding of depth. It purifies the mind as well as shows that life is like a continuing loop, after a black night a bright morning will come as a reminder that not everything in the world is permanent, dreadful and depressing. The contrast between light and darkness is emphasised to show the value of Christian ethics. Subtle sensual experience is achieved in many churches. Facades, windows help the light to come into space, offers a sublime entrance to the Promised Land. Every little creature is important in the spiritual way of thinking because everything has its own sometimes not as noticeable purpose. Old trees are a representation of wisdom, intelligence. The way they can keep and conserve energy can teach in a silent manner how to be patient and grow as a person. In many cultures hugging a tree or just spending some time in woods can comfort a restless soul. Many artists acknowledge the benefits of nature and light too and reflect the understanding of the importance of it with their work. Two famous Japanese architects Shigeru Ban and Tadao Ando try to incorporate their spiritual buildings with elements of the nature and their culture to create peace and harmony in busy and dynamic urban environment.
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3. White canvas formed as a dome 4. Building interior is visible during the mass
rchitect Shigeru Ban is well known for his philanthropic approach to contemporary architecture and innovative recycling ideas particularly with the Paper Church project. In 2014 he won the most prestigious award an architect could get- the Pritzker Prize for designing sustainable and beautiful housing for those in need. In 1995 thousands of people lost their lives in Southern Japan because of the Great Hanshin earthquake. It destroyed not only citizens’ homes but also important public places, one of them was Kobe’s Takatori Catholic Church. “The church had sustained a congregation of Vietnamese and Korean immigrants and impoverished Japanese, and became in ruin a poignant symbol of sanctuary” (McGuire 1996: 20). Shocked by the thought that people from poorer parts of affected area lost their main community and faith centre, Shigeru Ban wanted to show that not everything is lost; believing in better will help people to stand on their feet quicker by proposing the Paper Church project to local authorities. At first the pastor was against Ban’s unusual idea of cheap and renewable material use; the architect’s offer was to rebuild the church using tubes made out of paper. It sounded extremely odd, especially when paper is associated with thinness, brittleness and flammability. He shared his experience in (TEDxTokio 2013 speech) that it was incredibly difficult to test a completely new material in the building construction field but it was much stronger than he expected, is easy to waterproof and even fireproof the paper tubes. This new industrial element changed the way people think about eco-friendly design. Before rebuilding the church Shigeru Ban proved that paper is safe and strong enough to form temporary houses for the same earthquake affected people he got the permission to realise his concept. It took roughly five weeks and over a hundred of volunteers to construct the building. It was built as a temporary object which was supposed stay for three years before disassembling it but it stayed on the disaster site for more than a decade and it gained public appreciation and admiration before it was donated to an also earthquake affected area in Taiwan (Aspen Art Museum 2014: 99).
Not without reason Ban is called the Three-Dimensional Poet. In his point of view architecture needs to serve poor rather than rich because how can someone enjoy luxury while knowing that someone suffers? The disappointment of the architects working only with large corporations and privileged people encouraged Shigeru Ban to initiate philanthropic projects which would not only help society, but would also be nature friendly. All of the used materials are sustainable and from local resources, not only does it save money, but involves the community into the volunteering movement. In the church, brown paper tubes resemble wood and has its aesthetically pleasing qualities. Cardboard cylinder colonnade goes around the whole building while supporting white canvas stretched out to form a dome, the architect got his inspiration from baroque churches in Vatican City; he managed to combine two contrasting ideas to design a low-cost luxury for impoverished citizens. Furthermore, in between paper pillars aluminium and recycled plastic shutters can be opened to reveal the interior of the church and create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Opened blinds allow the natural light flood the whole internal space, columns cast thin, long shadows which makes inside of the building look peaceful and meditative. Ban didn’t just want to create a cheaper solution for connecting people with God, it also had to look pleasant and appealing to everyone’s eye. This project later became the community centre where people could perform and socialise. Shigeru Ban and his Paper Church proves that efficient use of natural resources, attention to detail and lighting can make a statement as a serene and stress free zone on earthquake destroyed land.
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5. Light pouring through a narrow opening 6. The famous cut out cross
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nother Japanese architect Tadao Ando also uses natural elements as a part of his architectural creations, especially with the design of Church of the Light. Ando was always interested in the building surroundings and the location of the site. When he was just fourteen years old he started to learn from an experienced carpenter the secrets of this craft, then he started to appreciate what qualities nature can provide and how they can be applied in a meaningful way. He believed that a house does not need to blend in with an environment but rather have a harmonious connection. In one of his interviews he said that it is important to create buildings suitable just for that particular area “I’d like the people of Japan to recall the importance of nature right there at the same time I would like to change the way of thinking among Japanese people” (CNN Talk Asia 2006). Church of the Light was built in 1989, redesigned and completed ten years after in 1999 in a small town called Ibaraki, Japan. It embraces Ando’s perception of life through architecture. At first sight the church looks like a plain concrete square but its interior reveals its sacred beauty. The composition mainly contains simple geometric shapes, and a concrete box crossed by a freestanding wall; thick concrete walls symbolise the secure feeling from chaotic and disastrous world. The cross shaped opening in one of the ends of the building is the centre of attention; during the day natural light coming from it illuminates the whole main hall. In addition, there is a contrast between the dark hall and the brightness of the light, thin light rays create not just sharp shadows but sets the whole soothing aura. Surprisingly dim and really empty looking church feels peaceful and reassuring, one of the key aspects in Ando’s philosophy is emptiness which is embodies something different- void which is God (Philip Drew 1996).
It is an unusual way of thinking that these contradicting ideas form a Zen feeling- realisation that nothing becomes everything and hollowness reaches fullness. That is why he eliminates everything from the building that is in his opinion unnecessary, there are no decorations or classical ornamental Christian church attributes, just bare grey walls. Emptiness helps to concentrate to what is important- faith. It is interesting that the moody, dark interior is illuminated by light but has no view. The bright cross in the front is the representation of hope, vivid life after death and connection with heaven. “When describing this project, the architect refers to a “quest for the relation between light and shadow”, and for the need for a “shelter of the spirit” (Philip Jodidio 2007). The whole building is hidden by pine trees, nature echoes inside too, seats and floors are made from coarse timber slabs and boards, and the choice of using wood material instantly warms up the whole place and diminishes the coolness of the concrete. The nature for Ando means not just green trees, but the whole array of different senses and feelings that it can provide. Rain, wind, darkness and the most important light have a unique role of composing wholeness, as well as, unity with the church. Ando separates himself from the traditional rational architecture, in his works; everything has purpose but not everything is physical, he experiments with how far function can be removed from the architecture. The whole ambience feels like a mix between East and West. Again, two contrasting paradigms work well together complementing one another. The whole church plan is based on the basic layout of a classic Christian house of worship, a tunnel- like interior which depends almost wholly on the effect of light. One of the Eastern culture attributes is the rich emptiness where the mind flows freely without any distractions, glimmering illumination purifies the bareness and brings out the abstract value of nothing. Tadao Ando in the Church of the Light brings the nature inside, sunshine radiating through the cut out cross creates a delicate relationship between the people and environment.
7. Portrait of Shigeru Ban (2011) 8. Tadao Ando in his studio (photo by Kaita Takemura)
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he nature and architecture clash creates the most wonderful results. Nature fits function to its form it is able to adapt to changes and enhance the shape of the building, it makes appear more organic ant fitting to a particular location. Architects believe that houses do not need to stand out in a way that they look out of the context or place. Architecture is a form of art, one of the main composition rules is to coordinate every detail in a painting because it will be admired as a whole. That’s why architects often collaborate with urban designers and planners or do a lot of research on the place’s specificities. People seek of comfort and satisfaction; they can receive all these things while being surrounded by nature. It is nurturing not just the imagination, but the spirit as well as the whole state of mind. Shigeru Ban and Tadao Ando demonstrate that the typical but as modest and uncluttered urban element as a church can serve as a shelter from aggressive outside world while not just providing safety but also giving the refreshing sense that nature can give.
List of References: Holy Bible, New International Version by Biblica, Inc (2011) [online] available from <https:// biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A7&version=NIV> [9 February 2017] McGuire, P. (1996) ‘Cardboard city’. Architectural Review [online] Vol. 199, 20 available from <http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=441b0619-53c5-4df5-835a-5111123ab54c%40sessionmgr102&vid=0&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=505809283&db=aft> [1 February 2017] TedxJapan (2013) [online] available from <https:// youtube.com/watch?v=IjHlyKT_Uug> [1 February 2017] Aspen Art Museum (2014) Shigeru Ban: Humanitarian Architecture. Aspen: Aspen Art Press and D.A.P. CNN Talk Asia (2006) [online] available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7l-SfS7Wcs&t=185s> [3 February 2017] Philip Drew (1996) Church on the Water, Church of the Light: Tadao Ando London: Phaidon Philip Jodidio (2007) Ando: complete works London: Taschen 1. Hiroyuki Hirai/Shigeru Ban Architects [online] available from <http://sixstar.moc.gov.tw/frontsite/cms/viewlistAction.do?method=doViewMobileRead&ids=OTY1OTU=%7CNjA1MDI=$OTY1OTY=%7CNjA1MDM=$ODA1MDY=%7CNjA1MDM=$OTYzMzc=%7CNjA1MDM=$OTYzMzY=%7CNjA1MDM=&contentId=OTYzMzc=&menuId=null&subMenuId=NjA1MDM=&menu=7> [9 February 2017] 2. Church of the Light, Osaka [online] available from < http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-19-879-604-631-view-ando-tadao-profile-ando-tadao-church-of-the-lightosaka-japan.html> [9 February 2017] 3; 4. Hiroyuki Hirai/Shigeru Ban Architects [online] available from < http://www.npr.org/2014/03/24/292420643/pritzker-winner-shigeru-ban-designs-solutions-in-the-face-ofdisaster> [3 February 2017] 5. [online] available from < https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/fb/4a/bb/fb4abb0e1595315fe26909dd8dd3c527.jpg> [9 February 2017] 6. Church of the Light, Osaka [online] available from < http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-19-879-604-631-view-ando-tadao-profile-ando-tadao-church-of-the-lightosaka-japan.html> [9 February 2017] 7. Hiroyuki Hirai/Shigeru Ban Architects [online] available from < http://www.world-architects.com/pages/insight/materials-shigeru-ban> [8 February 2017] 8. Kaita Takemura [online] available from < http://www.arch2o.com/12-fun-facts-tadao-ando/> [9 February 2017] [online] available from <https://www.instagram.com/p/BBQiBmDuZvV/> [9 February 2017]
Bibliography: Esther Ruth Charlesworth (2014) Humanitarian architecture: 15 stories of architects working after disaster London; New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group Niall Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare (2016) The Endowment of Light: A Sense of Space. International Journal of the Image [online] Vol. 7 Issue 4 available from <http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=dbb9f09e-6b98-47c8-b7e0-61174f1e82ec%40sessionmgr120&vid=0&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=116198686&db=aft> [5 February 2017] Alex Veal (2002) Time in Japanese architecture: tradition and Tadao Ando. ARQ: Architectural Research Quarterly [online] Vol. 6 Issue 4 available from < http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/command/detail?vid=6&sid=98f336e9-4588-43a4-b9c6-e87d00 ab9063%40sessionmgr102&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=505006325&db=aft>