Category: Japan

31 Mar
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Chochikukyo

djclough / Architectural, Japan, Travel / / 0 Comments

Chochikukyo

Designed by architect Koji Fujii, and built in 1928, Chochikukyo stands proudly in the foothills of Mount Tennōzan in the historic village of Oyamazaki cho on the western edge of Kyoto prefecture, not far from the famed Suntory Yamazaki Distillery.  Chochikukyo is actually the end result of Fujii’s relentless goal of creating a living space with sustainable features that takes into account the unique climate and conditions of Japan. Prior Fujii had built four other experimental residences – none to his satisfaction. It is a marvel to look at and amazes at every angle, with obvious attention paid to even the minutest of details…consider a barely noticeable door stop which mimics in shape the archway above.

This was a photography project long in the making. The idea was first suggested to me back in 2019 and plans were made to travel to Japan, and access to the building’s interior was granted from the owner of the building, Takenaka Corporation. With travel restrictions in place for COVID 19 for several years, the trip was indefinitely postponed.

A sudden trip to Japan at the end of 2022 provided an opportunity to fulfill this long-stalled dream. A short and scenic walk from Yamazaki JR station, Chochikukyo sits upon an elevated rise of earth overlooking the Yodogawa plain below. Currently the landscaping is under construction to repair damage from a typhoon and earthquake in 2018, thus the scarcity of exterior images below.

To my eye, it vaguely brought to mind an art deco design with its geometric patterns, archways, and use of lines. It is the result of years of study and observation of Fujii’s travels abroad. He put into practice never before used techniques in Japanese construction such as using the metric system for measurement rather than traditional Japanese construction measurement units. Utilizing a unique ventilation system, the building is naturally cooled in the hot summer months. Visually it feels very comfortable to be in this space. The tatami flooring is on a 30 cm platform so that eye level would be the same as guests sitting in chairs in the open wooden floor area.

Light fixtures and furniture pieces are all designed by Fujii himself. The property consists of three buildings – the main house, a tea house, and the Pavilion (Room of Quiet). 

Koji Fujii died at the age of 49 in 1938, having only lived for ten years in Chochikukyo.

My profound thanks and gratitude to all who made this project possible and most especially to  Takenaka Corporation for its cooperation, as well as the volunteer Chochikukyo Club. The homepage is: http://www.chochikukyo.com/

For further reading, feel free to contact me. I would be happy to provide more information.

 Click on any image below to see larger image

聴竹居

建築家の藤井厚二によって設計され、1928 年に建てられた聴竹居は、有名なサントリー山崎蒸留所からそう遠くない、京都府の西端にある歴史的な大山崎町の天王山のふもとに誇らしげに立っています。 実際、聴竹居は、日本の独特の気候と条件を考慮に入れた持続可能な機能を備えた生活空間を作り出すという藤井の絶え間ない目標の最終結果です。 藤井氏は以前、神戸に１つ（第1回住宅）、大山崎町の西国街道に1つ（第2回住宅）、さらに同じ谷田地区の敷地内に ２つの実験住宅を建設していましたが、どれも満足のいくものではありませんでした。 細部にまで注意が払われていることは明らかで、どの角度から見ても驚くべきものです。

これは長い期間に渡った写真プロジェクトでした。 このアイデアは2019年に初めて私に提案され、日本への旅行が計画され、建物の所有者である竹中工務店から建物の内部へのアクセスが許可されました。 COVID 19の旅行制限が数年間実施されたため、旅行は無期限に延期されました。

2022年の終わりに突然の日本への旅行が、この長い間停滞していた夢を実現する機会を与えてくれました。JR山崎駅から歩いてすぐの眺めの良い聴竹居は、眼下に淀川平野を見下ろす小高い丘の上にあります。 現在、2018年の台風と地震による損傷の保存修理工事を終え、最後の外構·庭園整備工事が行われているため、以下の外観画像は不足しています。

私の目には、幾何学模様やアーチ、線の使い方など、どことなくアールデコ調のデザインを連想させました。 それは、藤井の長年の研究と海外視察での観察の結果です。 彼は、伝統的な日本の建設測定単位ではなくメートル法を測定に使用するなど、日本の建設ではこれまで使用されなかった技術を実践しました。 独自の換気システムを利用して、暑い夏の間、建物は自然冷却されます。 この空間にいると、視覚的にとても快適に感じます。 畳の床は30cmのプラットフォームにあり、目の高さはオープンなフローリングの床エリアの椅子に座っているゲストと同じになります。

照明器具や調度品はすべて藤井氏のデザイン。 敷地は、本屋、閑室（静寂の部屋）、茶室、の3つの建物で構成されています。

藤井厚二は、1938 年に 49 歳の若さで亡くなりました。

このプロジェクトを実現させてくださった皆様、特に協力してくださった竹中工務店様、そして有志の聴竹居俱楽部の皆様に心より感謝申し上げます。 ホームページは http://www.chochikukyo.com/

詳細については、お気軽にお問い合わせください。 より多くの情報を提供できれば幸いです。

 

下の画像をクリックすると、大きな画像が表示されます

 

 

 

15 Jun
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Cove Street Arts Architecture Exhibit

djclough / Architectural, Artwork, Barcelona, China, Japan, Matterport, News, NYC, On the Road, Travel, Virtual Tour / / 0 Comments

Pleased and honored to be exhibiting in the Architecture exhibit at Cove Street Arts in Portland, Maine this summer. Also exhibiting are Brian Vanden Brink, Don Peterson, Sarah Szwajkos, Jean Noon, and Liv Kristin Robinson. Visit the show here.

Images I chose to exhibit represent the last few years of travel around the USA and world. In order of appearance below: NYC…Kansas…Barcelona…Suzhou, China…Yokohama, Japan..Suzhou, China…Truth or Consequences, New Mexico…Atami, Japan…Suzhou, China.

Questions and comments are always welcomed…djclough@mac.com

Click images for large size…Or for something new, click here to take a virtual walk through tour.

 

Processed May 2017
13 Dec
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Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture, 21st Edition

djclough / Architectural, Artwork, Book, Japan, Journalism, News, Publishing / / 0 Comments

The reviews are in for the recently released Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture, 21st Edition by Bloomsbury Press in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the University of London.

Pleased and proud that my documentation of Bruno Taut’s historic Kyu Hyuga Bettei in Atami, Japan was selected for inclusion in this monumental book released in 2019.

 

What the critics are saying:

“Book of the Century” – The American Institute of Architects

“Half the pleasure, as half the volume, of Banister Fletcher is its pictures. The thousands of photographs are, as always in Banister Fletcher, unimprovably fine.” – The Times Educational Supplement

“…the bible of architectural history… Banister Fletcher remains a potted history with remarkably pithy writing.” – Building Magazine

“The tome has been bought for 100 years by every architectural student who could possibly scrape together the shillings.” – Architectural Review

“A thundering classic … No serious fan of architecture should be without it” – The American Institute of Architects

“It will continue its usefulness beyond the years of study and become an additional aid to everyday practice.” – Times Higher Education Supplement

“It will remain one of the most thumbed tomes in Building Design’s office library” – Building Design

“It is such a remarkable book, containing so much detail and so skilfully illustrated, that it is a must for all architectural and surveying offices” – ASI Journal

“An easy-to-use reference book with all the world’s major architecture described, explained and, in many cases, fully illustrated.” – B & M Architecture & Design

 

For details on the 21st edition, view RIBA’s press release here.

 

 

Other links to explore if interested:

RIBA’s website
Bloomsbury Publishing
University of London

10 Nov
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Shiguchi at The Gamble House

djclough / Architectural, California, Japan, Travel, Video / / 0 Comments

I first met Yoshihiro Takishita in 2010 when I visited his mountain-top minka in Kamakura. I was impressed with the commanding view of Sagami Bay and was immediately moved by his work. I was deeply honored when he asked that I document his Shiguchi exhibit at the Gamble House. I suspect it is most every architectural photographer’s dream to photograph this archetypical example of the Arts and Crafts movement…it was certainly mine, and it was only through an invisible thread that brought me there and made it possible.

I cannot imagine a more perfect setting for Takishita-san’s Shiguchi to be displayed and viewed than the Gamble House as it provided a monumental setting for his joinery artistry. I was charged with documenting the entire process of the exhibit. I witnessed and was moved by the total commitment of the entire Gamble House staff to this effort. I was impressed by the painstaking process that took place so that each of the forty Shiguchi look their best to allow for their story to be visually told. I believe the success of the exhibit was inherent in the relationship of the Shiguchi pieces shining in their placement in the ever-inspiring Gamble House. To capture the respective beauty of both components was my aim, so that all those who attended, as well as those unable to attend, would know just what a stunning triumph had occurred at 4 Westmoreland Place. I wish to thank all involved for their support to make this collaboration possible. The above montage video is an overview of my five days photographing the exhibit.

Notes from The Gamble House:

Since in the 1970s, Yoshihiro Takishita has successfully rescued dozens of Japanese farm houses, or minka, from the increasing threat of development, particularly in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture. By carefully disassembling the houses, timber by timber, and reassembling them in new locations, many of these historic houses have been able to enjoy a second life. Not all of the constituent parts have been able to be re-purposed in the new locations, however. Not wanting to discard any remnant examples of Shiguchi, Mr. Takishita carefully stored the structural “orphans” of unused timber joints. He soon realized that these objects could stand on their own, literally and figuratively, as individual works of art. Over time, Takishita rescued enough structural fragments that a coherent collection of remarkable aesthetic value emerged. Both art and craft, these examples of traditional joinery are now exhibited for the first time in America at The Gamble House, itself a masterpiece of architectural wood craft. Shiguchi joinery, though centuries old, survives as a precise and elegant tribute to a Japanese traditional of building once common throughout the land.

“Shiguchi: The Hidden Art of Japanese Joinery” is an exhibit of 40 examples of timber-frame joinery that formerly fastened massive farm-house posts, beams, rafters and ridges to make up Japanese minka, or farm house, construction. While the original makers’ identities are lost to history, curator Yoshihiro Takishita offers a fresh perspective on their craft, naming the works, if not the workers. In doing so, Takishita has envisioned a new art form, revealed by hidden craft. 

The Gamble House is a National Historic Landmark in Pasadena CA designed by architects Charles and Henry Greene in 1908. It is open for public touring Thursday through Sunday, noon to 3:00 pm.  Additional exhibition details, tour information, lecture and event dates are available on our website

There is a bilingual website for Shiguchi here.

 

For an alternate version with the Bach Cello Suites by Alain Meunier, please view:

 

08 Feb
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West of Japan / East of Norway – Norwegian Embassy, Stockholm, Sweden

djclough / Architectural, Japan, News, Sweden, Travel / / 0 Comments

With grateful thanks to all involved at the Norwegian Embassy for their hard work and dedication to this exhibit, and thank you to Marco Capitanio, Luca Ferrario and Ole Rikard Høisæther. 

 

From the desk of Marco Capitanio…

WEST OF JAPAN/EAST OF NORWAY

The exhibition „West of Japan / East of Norway“ attempts a daring architectural comparison. It juxtaposes for the first time Knut Knutsen’s Norwegian Embassy in Stockholm and Bruno Taut’s Hyuga Villa in Atami, Japan. Knut Knutsen (Norwegian architect, 1903-1969) took inspiration from Japanese architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright – a connoisseur of Japan himself – for the design of his embassy building in Stockholm, realized between 1948 and 1952. We know this from his statements, documents and drawing references. Architectural historians have been emphasizing it for decades.
 
The Norwegian Embassy, brought back to its pristine condition after a careful renovation, comes to host photographs and drawings of Hyuga Villa, a likely source of inspiration to Knutsen, built in 1936. Thanks to a new photographic interpretation of the embassy building, the exhibit clarifies how a certain “Japanness” seeped into Knutsen’s design, presumably borrowing from Hyuga Villa, from Taut’s books on Japanese architecture, and from Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto (17th century).
 
Hyuga Villa and the Norwegian Embassy embody a personal reflection on Japanese architecture, mediated through European sensibilities. Bruno Taut (German architect, 1880-1938) fled from the growing Nazi movement in the mid 1930s in central Europe. His stay in Japan culminated in Hyuga Villa (Kyū Hyūga Bettei). Taut’s project was first presented in the international French architectural magazine “L’architecture d’aujourdhui” in 1937, with a text written by the architect himself, paired with plans and photographs. The project, a crosscultural breeding between European and local architectural language, was rediscovered in its full width thanks to exhibitions and symposia in 2016-17.
 
Knut Knutsen owned several books on Japanese architecture. One was “Japanische Architekur”, 1936, by Tetsuro Yoshida (Taut’s friend and collaborator), still in the family’s possession. It is more than likely that he also knew (or possessed) Taut’s books on the same subject. Knutsen was commissioned, together with the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo, to design the Norwegian pavilion for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937. This was one of the reasons why he was a subscriber to “L’architecture d’aujourdhui” in the years before and after the exhibition. The presentation of Hyuga Villa in the 1937 magazine must have been of special importance to Knutsen, based on his general interest on Japanese-European relationships.
 
Taut was able to spend three years in the East, before settling in Istanbul, at the crossroad of oriental and western cultures. It is now our intention to show how his legacy travelled to the North thanks to Knutsen, as his readings must have brought inspiration all the way to the Norwegian Embassy in Stockholm. Or so it seems.
 
Curated by Marco Capitanio and Ole Rikard Høisæther.
 
Photographs of the Norwegian Embassy by Luca Ferrario, photographs of Hyuga Villa by Dave Clough.
 
 
 
 
01 May
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Water/Glass in Atami

djclough / Architectural, Commercial, Japan, Travel / / 0 Comments

Kengo Kuma’s famed Water/Glass project is positioned on a steep hillside in the resort city of Atami in Shizuoka. Sitting directly above Bruno Taut’s Kyu Hyuga Bettei, the contrast between the old and new could not be more distinct, and yet…

As noted on Kengo Kuma and Associates website,  “The design of this villa was influenced greatly by “Hyuga” Villa, the sole project which Bruno Taut had left in Japan. The design also gained influences by the philosophies of Taut. Taut’s stay in Japan lasted from 1933 until 1936. Meanwhile, his praise over Katsura Palace was ever-lasting. The reasoning for his commendation lied in the fact that the Palace frames the nature yet frames by being one with nature.

Taut specifically paid attention to mechanisms in Katsura Palace that provoked the framing of nature with nature: the eaves and the bamboo verandas. Thus, in our villa, a layer of water which gently covers the building edges signified bamboo verandas in Katsura. Moreover, a stainless louver that roofs the water signified the eaves. The water surface stretches further out and unites the surface with the Pacific Ocean. And on top of the joined surface, a glass box floats. As the box is super-imposed numerous times, refraction of materials brings in reflections of sorts. The relationship between the subject and the environment is challenged upon in various manners by re-defining and re-shaping the Katsura philosophy, yet always maintaining its fundamental essence.”

Originally built as a private guest house, it is now the ATAMI Kaihourou, a luxury hotel. A rare opportunity was recently presented to photograph its famed Water Balcony, but what I discovered was that from the ground on up, the structure was amazing … and photogenic.

 

28 Apr
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PechaKucha, Tokyo #146

djclough / Architectural, Japan, News, Travel / / 0 Comments

Roppongi was buzzing when Marco Capitanio and I arrived at SuperDeluxe for our joint PechaKucha presentation on Bruno Taut in Japan on April 26th. Here we were to present at THE birthplace of PechaKucha!  Great to be introduced and interviewed by co-founders Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham architecture. Many thanks to PechaKucha for the images documenting the evening.

To view our six minute and forty second presentation, just click here.

 

Needless to say it was a blast!

 

 

 

26 Apr
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West of Japan, East of Europe Exhibit and Symposium at Keio University, Hiyoshi Campus

djclough / Architectural, Japan, News, Travel / / 0 Comments

Renowned German architect Bruno Taut lived in Japan in the 1930’s. His only extant project there is the Kyu Hyuga Bettei on a steep hillside overlooking the ocean in the resort city of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture. I was privileged to have had the opportunity to photograph the villa and subsequently have partnered with Italian architect, Marco Capitanio, to exhibit our collaborative project and present our work at international symposiums. The first was at the University of Venice in 2016, and the second took place in Yokohama, Japan at Keio University’s Hiyoshi Campus. The project is sponsored by co+labo at Keio University and The Formwork at the University of Venice. The Keio students were instrumental in setting up the exhibit and the hanging panels provided a unique visual platform to pair Marco’s drawings and my images. A new addition to the exhibit was a model of the villa at 1:50 scale made by the Keio students.

I was honored to present at the accompanying symposium with distinguished guests…Bruno Taut scholars, Professor Manfred Speidel and Professor Tatsuaki Tanaka, Yoshihiro Takishita (President of The Association for Preserving Old Japanese Farmhouses), Sumiko Enbutsu, author and member of the Bunkyo Link for Architectural Preservation, along with Marco Capitanio and Professor Darko Radovic of co+labo at Keio University.

Next up are two more exhibits … Suzhou, China and Milan, Italy in the fall…stay tuned.

 

 

15 Apr
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Presentation in Yokohama, Japan

djclough / Architectural, Japan, Travel / / 0 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rockland Photographer Dave Clough to Exhibit in Japan, China and Italy

Encore show focuses on renowned Japanese villa

ROCKLAND, Maine – April 17, 2017 – Images by Rockland-based architectural photographer Dave Clough of German architect Bruno Taut’s Kyu Hyuga Bettei in Japan will come full circle when Clough displays them at a public exhibition on Keio University’s Hiyoshi Campus in Yokohama later this month.

Clough’s images of Taut’s renowned villa were featured at an exhibition in Venice last fall alongside new, complete drawings of Taut’s design by Italian architect Marco Capitanio.

The Venice show, titled West of Japan / East of Europe, received such an enthusiastic response that it will be mounted again not only in Yokohama April 26 through May 2 but also in Suzhou, China, and Milan, Italy, this fall.

Curated by Capitanio, the exhibit reveals how the villa, located in Atami, marries Taut’s personal reflection on Japanese architecture with his European sensibility. Juxtaposed drawings and pictures help visitors distinguish between the project’s form and proportion and its materials, textures and colors.

The exhibition is being organized by co+labo Radović at Keio University, where Capitanio is a PhD candidate, and the Formwork cultural association, with assistance from Professor Darko Radović and professor Marko Pogacnik from the Formwork / IUAV.

As in Venice, the exhibit will be accompanied by an international symposium about Kyu Hyuga Bettei and other projects that relate to designing for and within a foreign culture. Clough and Capitanio will be among the symposium’s presenters, along with Taut scholars Professor Manfred Speidel from Germany and Professor Tatsuaki Tanaka from Japan, as well as Yoshihiro Takishita, president of the Association Preserving Old Japanese Farmhouses, and Sumiko Enbutsu, an author who belongs to the Bunkyo Link for Architectural Preservation.

“It has been amazing to connect with these experts on Japanese architecture and to learn how much they respect Bruno Taut’s legacy,” says Clough, who became fascinated with traditional architecture in Japan while living there for 10 years. “Through my collaboration with Marco I have discovered the deep respect scholars have for Taut’s work in general and Kyu Hyuga Bettei in particular. As a unique blend of Japanese and German sensibilities it doesn’t attract everyone’s interest, but those in the know are very supportive of our efforts to make more people aware of it.”

Clough and Capitanio’s work has drawn attention from the Royal Institute of British Architects, which will include one of Clough’s photos and a drawing by Capitanio in the 21st Edition of Sir Banister Fletcher’s World History of Architecture, which the Institute is publishing in partnership with the University of London.

About Dave Clough

Dave Clough provided all the color photography for Homes Down East: Classic Maine Coastal Cottages, released by Tilbury House Publishers in 2014.  He is currently taking photographs for a second Tilbury House publication, a how-to book by Scott T. Hanson on rehabilitating historic homes to function in the 21st century while retaining their historic character. Clough also photographs for Mainebiz publications and serves commercial clients including architects, designers, builders, hotels, restaurants, real estate firms, and homeowners.

About Marco Capitanio

Marco Capitanio studied architecture at the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture (CH) and urban design at TU Berlin and at Tongji University Shanghai, where he completed his master’s degree in 2012. His professional experiences span from the architectural scale (construction drawings and detailed design in Switzerland and Japan) to the urban dimension (large developments and masterplans in China). Marco is a research assistant and PhD candidate at Keio University. His work focuses on liveability of the built environment, especially at the neighborhood scale, a topic he has investigated in Europe and China.

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For more information on West of Japan, East of Europe exhibit in Venice, click here.

 

 

15 Mar
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Royal Institute of British Architects and University of London to publish Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture, 21st Edition

Chloe / Architectural, Japan / / 0 Comments

I was recently contacted by the Royal Institute of British Architects. They are partnering with the University of London to produce the 21st edition of “Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture”. As described in RIBA’s press release, “Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture is the world’s acknowledged classic work of architectural history reference. Since the first edition was published in 1896, it has been declared the ‘Book of the Century’ by the American Institute of Architects and has become essential reading for generations of architects and students. This tradition continues today, with the 21st Edition set to provide the most comprehensive global history of architecture available in any form.”

 

I am pleased and excited to announce that one of my photographs of Bruno Taut’s Kyu Hyuga Villa has been selected for the 21st edition published by Bloomsbury Publishing. Also included will be Italian architect Marco Capitanio’s section drawing of the villa shown below. For details on the 21st edition, view RIBA’s press release here. Publication is set for 2018.

 

Look for the exhibition and symposium with Marco Capitanio, “West of Japan, East of Europe” to open in Tokyo, Japan in April, Suzhou, China, and Milan, Italy in the fall of 2017.

 

Other links to explore if interested:

RIBA’s website
Bloomsbury Publishing
University of London