Japan Architect, Theoretical Architecture and Graphic Representation

Japan Architect
Japan
35° 41′ 22 N, 139° 41′ 30 E

Japan Architect is an international magazine aimed at promoting contemporary Japanese architecture through projects, theoretical drawings and essays.

Contemporary projects and graphic representation

Japan Architect (JA) is an architectural magazine first published in 1956. Its ambition was to popularize Japanese architecture to an international audience by being the first and only English-language Japanese architecture magazine. The magazine and the audience have evolved a lot but its objective has remained the same: to defend the current Japanese architectural ideas, publishing mainly projects in Japan. It presents esquisses, drawings, plans and photographs of projects but also essays studying various themes and discussions in the fields of Japanese architecture and urbanism. As one would expect, many famous architects have been published there, but what is interesting, especially in the 1970s, is the strong dominance of theoretical projects little known to the general public. Moreover the projects are commented, contextualized or attached to a theme that guides the issue. We propose here a non-exhaustive selection of drawings and photographs that show a great graphic expression. It focuses mainly on the last three decades of the 20th century.

Yasufumi Kijima. JA 52 Oct 1977, 49

Kazuhiro Ishii and Hiroyuki Suzuki. Ja 52 Oct 1977, 10

Kuni-ken. JA 53 Jan 1978, 68

Hironori Otsukuro and Makoto Matsumoto. JA 53 Feb 1978, 49

Masanori Kei. JA 53 Feb 1978, 47

Norimasa Azumada and Yuriko Azumada. JA 53 Feb 1978, 46

Monta Mozuna. JA 53 Jun 1978, 18-26

Toyō Itō. JA 53 Sep 1978, 20-21

Yoshito Takahashi. Japan Architect Feb 1987, 38

Atsushi Kitagawara, Kenta Nakanou. JA Apr 1987, 34

“The metropolis indiscriminately casts a shadow. A deep shadow is cast on architectures too-like the shadow that appears outright on the facade of architectures, or the shadows that control space in the form of technique. As is commonly known, the metropolis, as an entity, has already been lost. Having taken leave of space, the metropolis is scattered as an ultra-spatial virtual image or as the diamond dust of memories.”

Yutaka Hikosaka. JA Nov 1988, 24

Katsuhiro Kobayashi. JA Nov 1988, 28

Makoto Kikuchi. JA Nov 1988, 46

“The computer is itself a space and the omni-talented imitator of all things. In the beginning, it is only a characterless expanse. Then you call a name into this space by typing. In response to this name, a certain datum object is born and recorded into the system. It is bound by nothing and has no characteristics of its own.”

Tadao Ando. JA Nov 1989, 25

“I have always used natural materials in those parts of a building that come into contact with the human hand or foot because I am convinced that substances such as wood and concrete are invaluable materials for architecture and that one becomes aware of the true quality of architecture through the body.”

Ryoji Suzuki. JA 6 Spring 1992, 128

Toyo Ito. JA 14 Summer 1994, 33

Atelier Bow Wow. JA 17 Spring 1995, 227