The Aesthetics of Traditional and

Modern Japanese Architecture

Questions

• Are traditional Japanese aesthetics still

present in the ever changing, innovative,

globalized field of modern architecture?

• What factors have shaped their evolution?

Climate and topography• Earthquakes, typhoons

and floods destroy all

things built by man.

Virtually the only thing

which has lasting value is

land, the plot on which a land, the plot on which a

building stands.

• 70% of Japan is

mountainous, so only a

limited amount of land

can be inhabited.

� Space is a particularly

precious commodity.

Pre-modern Japanese architecture

• in domestic architecture (minka, lit. “houses of the people”) we can distinguish several types of buildings:

� farmhouses (nōka)

� fishermen’s huts (gyoka)

� mountain houses (sanka)mountain houses (sanka)

� town houses (machiya)

� row-houses (nagaya)

• native architectural designs

imitated forms from other

Asian cultures, especially China

Pre-modern Japanese architecture

Japanese adaptations

• asymmetry

• building’s layout determined

Initially preference was given to the Chinese architectural

model, but gradually the Japanese adapted the imported

elements to suit their needs and preferences.

Chinese model

• symmetry

• building’s layout determined • building’s layout determined

by topography

• building’s layout determined

by the wide courtyard

Pre-modern Japanese architecture• The architecture we feel today to be typically Japanese

emerged during the Muromachi period:

� low-rise buildings

� thatched or tiled roofs

� modular wood frames

� permanent and moving walls � permanent and moving walls

� tatami (straw mats)

� fusuma (sliding doors)

� shoji (wooden-lattice exterior

sliding doors covered with rice paper)

� tokonoma (recessed alcoves)

• The most notable style is the Sukiya style,

considered to be “the quintessence of the

Japanese architectural preference for the

natural, the living and the raw.”

Traditional

materials

• bamboo

• straw

• stone: building foundations

wood: • wood:

– has absorbent properties and is widely available

– used in all its forms (planks, tree bark, paper)

– deep appreciation of its qualities lead to it being favored

despite foreign influences

– minimally processed wooden surfaces change their

appearance with the passing of time and blend in

harmoniously with their surroundings

The Japanese have a

sensitivity to the qualities of a

material, a desire to enhance

them.

Traditional

materials

Traditional aesthetic concepts:

• shizen – naturalness

• shibui – an understated,

elegant beauty

• daisuzoku – or freedom

from attachment

(permanence through

materials is not attempted)

Materials in modern JapanAs Japan opened itself to the Western world, architecture was

influenced by new ideas. The assimilation and adaptation of

foreign elements is the recurring theme.

Brick buildings were built

especially in port towns especially in port towns

open to international trade.

“Europeanness”—that which

is intrinsic to “Europe”—has

become one of the elements

that form “Japaneseness.”

Materials in modern JapanThis trend continued beyond the Meiji period, and the use of

new materials, particularly in the rebuilding of cities after WWII,

discontinued the natural evolution of Japanese architecture.

However modern architects have preserved a heightened

awareness of the properties and aesthetic qualities of the

materials they use – both natural and man-made – which allows materials they use – both natural and man-made – which allows

them to provide the viewers with rich multisensory experiences.

Time: form is kept, contents evaporateThe acceptance of impermanence is linked to Buddhist and

Shinto philosophy.

• periodic rebuilding and transferring of buildings from one

location to another

• Ise Shrine

- Shinto values are preserved (purification of the space,

renewal of the power of the Shinto spirits)

- construction methods and associated ceremonies are

handed down to the next generation

- concept of materiality is absent, and a natural, cyclical flow

is achieved

Cyclicity, transience and natural flow

Japanese cities have a dynamic vitality due to natural disasters

and the poor condition of older buildings.

Structures are ephemeral: the average lifespan of residential

buildings is 25 years, after which they are demolished and

rebuilt.rebuilt.

The lack of tradition has a long tradition

where the physical constitution of

buildings is concerned.

Nature’s placeShinto believe that man and environment

have an organic relationship – fūdo.

Traces of fūdo can be found in cities

today where new buildings coexist with old shrines, but not in

utilitarian, large-scale domestic architecture which appeared as a utilitarian, large-scale domestic architecture which appeared as a

solution to the ever increasing post-WWII population.

Many contemporary buildings incorporate

the natural features of the landscape

(trees, rocks, natural slopes) and are

orientated according to them.

Nature’s place

Avant-garde designs in 1960s-

1970s still sought a connection to

natural surroundings and saw

architecture as a biological process.

Pervaded by a sense of peace and internationalization,

townhouses are popular in cities, whilst in rural areas the family

house with a garden is preferred. Vacation homes are built to

merge the landscape with the house, showing the presence of

fūdo.

The bubble economy of the 1980s allowed for more extravagant

construction projects and gave rise to a tendency toward

extremes and excess.

Zen and traditional architecture

Zen encourages contemplation, direct experience, spontaneity

and an interest in the essence of things.

Tranquility (sei-jaku) and profundity (yugen) are achieved as

each element is functional and aesthetically pleasing:

• asymmetry• asymmetry

• flexibility of space

• effective use of natural light and ventilation

• selection of minimally processed materials

• subdued natural colors

• representation of nature (gardens, tokonoma)

Zen and traditional architecture

Kanso (simplicity, clarity, lack of clutter, removing everything that

is not essential) is achieved through minimalist design.

Furnishings do not reveal the function of a space, and the room

needs man’s participation to fill the void. This encourages needs man’s participation to fill the void. This encourages

introspection:

• the empty room provides the very space where man’s spirit

can move freely and where his thoughts can reach the very

limits of their potential.

Effects on contemporary architecture

• spaces with large intentionally blank areas which allow the

rest of the building to stand out in harmonious contrast

• narrow color ranges emphasize

lines and shapes and make for a

streamlined minimalist aesthetic streamlined minimalist aesthetic

experience.

Effects on contemporary architecture

• movable or sliding elements blur the boundaries between

rooms and allow overlapping functions

• natural light still is a central feature and

government-imposed building codes

regulate a building’s height so that

natural light is not blocked out for

surrounding constructions

• contemporary residences feature

skylights, split levels and opaque

materials which bring in a lot of light

uchi内, soto外The Japanese home has traditionally served as a screen between

the inner circle and the outside world.

As organically evolving neighborhoods disappeared, the

construction of small urban apartments translated into an

introverted architecture that related to the city, a potentially

hostile environment, in a defensive way. hostile environment, in a defensive way.

The microcosm of the modern

Japanese house allows residents

to isolate themselves from the

outside world, yet there are

experiments with open spaces

and many of these are

reminiscent of traditional values.

GardensGardens were designed based on the Chinese model and served

to display status, entertain guests and contemplate.

Rock gardens (karesansui) and tea gardens (chaniwa) eventually

displayed artistic elements such as the interplay of the hidden

and the visible.

Interior and exterior space (nature) are linked by the garden:

• manipulated, idealized miniaturization of the outdoors

• illusion of being in nature by walking in something artificial

• order brought into chaos through balanced, rhythmical

composition

Gardens• due to space limitations, urban

residences developed tsuboniwa (small

gardens in inner courtyards), but they

are uncommon in today's urban areas.

• in cities the dream of a garden • in cities the dream of a garden

remains alive, as evidenced by

the lovingly arranged flowerpots

in front of many houses

• there are numerous

experiments with incorporating

gardens into modern buildings

Conclusions

• Japanese aesthetics were shaped by geographical, climatic,

social, cultural and political factors

• The Japanese integrated contrasting native and foreign

elements of traditional and modern architectural design

• fundamental Japanese concepts are still addressed today• fundamental Japanese concepts are still addressed today

• Simplicity, elegance, minimalism and modular design are still

at the core of modern Japanese buildings,

• many elements employed in construction and design are

reminiscent of nature.

Contemporary Japanese architecture:

currents of innovation, roots in tradition