Studying history to design the future
Studying history to design the future
Takemura
I agree. We talked about Meiji Shrine earlier, but in the heart of Tokyo there are a series of vast green spaces, including Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace, Akasaka Palace, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. In the center of Tokyo, which, along with New York, was the only megacity in the world with a population of 10 million until the 1960s, and in a place where land prices would be highest if developed, there remains a "primordial forest," a "empty space" that creates no economic value.
What's more, many of these forests have been touched by humans, or are artificial forests. The character "工" in the word "artificial" is apparently a character with the top bar representing "heaven" and the bottom bar representing "earth," representing the human activities that connect the two. In other words, this is the act of developing the natural environment in a better way by highlighting the hidden context in the natural landscape. It seems to me that the Japanese have been engaged in such "工" activities for a long time.
Regarding the example of the Onomichi books, while it is important to preserve the actual items as documents so that future generations can unravel them, I believe that going forward it will also be necessary to "return the text content to the context of the site." Modern Europeans brought back a large number of diverse items from tropical worlds that were strange to them, preserved them in museums, and packaged them as encyclopedias. Now it is time to return these to the context of the site through ubiquitous media design. How to balance this two-way activity may be the challenge for our generation.
Campbell
"Giving back" does not simply mean sending out a message or returning the objects themselves to the land. Even if physical traces are destroyed and memories of a place fade with the passage of time, as long as some faint trace remains somewhere in the local culture or the people's community, it should be possible to bring these to light in some way.
For example, the Shirakami-Sanchi Mountains, a World Heritage Site, is recognized as an "untouched forest," but if you look at the literature, you'll see that the beech forests were once depleted by logging, but were then regenerated by samurai from the Tsugaru domain. How can we utilize not only the forest itself, but also the various techniques, ethics, and codes of conduct that were born out of the activities of the people involved in it in the present day? I think that's important.
Takemura
The idea that "this beech forest is a virgin forest and therefore must be protected" is a modern Western idea, but it shows that humans have not only protected the nature bestowed upon them by heaven, but have also worked as coordinators, drawing out its potential. And the true essence of studying history lies in the attitude of interpreting the activities of our ancestors in the field. In other words, we design the future by studying history.
In that sense, I think it's a shame to see events like Kyoto's Gion Festival go to waste. The festival is said to have originated as a prayer for health and freedom from disasters and epidemics, but in fact, there were many climate changes and disasters at the time, during the Medieval Warm Period. In that sense, rather than simply learning about history and origins, I believe that these festivals also contain hints that connect to the current challenge facing humanity: "How can we creatively coexist with a changing Earth?"
Also, while the rapid increase in inbound tourism has been attracting attention, Kyoto's transformation into an international city is not a new phenomenon. The fact that Kyoto was once a hub of Eurasian trade can be seen from the dantsu (patterned rugs) of Indian and Persian origin that decorate the floats of the Gion Festival. The Gion Festival visualizes these memories once a year, acting as a kind of "moving global museum." There is a lot that needs to be done beyond superficial considerations for the landscape.
- CREDIT
- - Organized by: NTT Urban Development Co., Ltd. Design Management Office
- - Planning and direction: Takram
- - Talk host: Kotaro Watanabe (Takram), Keita Fukasawa (freelance editor)
- - Compiled by: Keita Fukasawa (freelance editor)
- CREDIT
- - Organized by: NTT Urban Development Co., Ltd. Design Management Office
- - Planning and direction: Takram
- - Talk host: Kotaro Watanabe (Takram), Keita Fukasawa (freelance editor)
- - Compiled by: Keita Fukasawa (freelance editor)
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Completed in 1926 as the Kyoto Central Telephone Exchange in Karasuma Oike, Kyoto, the building has been popularly known as Shin Puh Kan commercial facility since 2001. In 2019, the building will be reborn as a new hotel and commercial complex.
We will create a unique charm by utilizing this historic building, which is designated and registered as a cultural property by Kyoto City, and will connect the city's culture that has continued to be nurtured here to the future.
Shin Puh Kan Redevelopment Plan
(Scheduled to open in 2019 / Design: NTT FACILITIES Inc. + Kengo Kuma and Associates)
Completed in 1926 as the Kyoto Central Telephone Exchange in Karasuma Oike, Kyoto, the building has been popularly known as Shin Puh Kan commercial facility since 2001. In 2019, the building will be reborn as a new hotel and commercial complex.
We will create a unique charm by utilizing this historic building, which is designated and registered as a cultural property by Kyoto City, and will connect the city's culture that has continued to be nurtured here to the future.