Beijing vs Tokyo

Yesterday I came back from Beijing for some job interview.
Before posting general impression, here is another map comparison:

First a map of tokyo. the red line is the yamanote line which is really the linking line of tokyo transport system.

This is Beijing second ring. I have chosen it because it seemed the boundary of the center of the city.
Probably most foreigners live inside it. The second line goes under it. Yamanote line/ second ring seems a fair comparison in matter of relation of the city in a simpler way
yamanote line : tokyo = 2nd ring : beijing

Here are the two together.

The last shows Tokyo Beijing and Milan’s Navigli ring.

I received an email where I was asked to suggest which one is better to go for an internship.
Please consider that I have been in Tokyo 1.5 years, in Beijing just a few days.
Beijing is developing, Tokyo too but has already reached a high level of development.
Beijing urban planning has a russian flavor: large and long roads which make it a “car city”
Tokyo has no urban planning. Getting lost in tiny streets late at night is one of the best thing one can do.
Beijing is a construction site. I would imagine sometimes not so pleasant to live in.
Beijing is much more polluted.
Beijing is dusty. Tokyo, after a while, feels too clean.
In Beijing there are streets with trees, in Tokyo probably one or two.
Beijing is a teenager, with contrasts, virtues, dreams and possibilities.
Tokyo is more adult: efficient, polite, clean and established.

A foreigner in Tokyo is, at the beginning lost but quickly can feel well integrated.
Some cultural barriers, luckily, will always remain.
IN beijing I felt the gap between foreigners and locals is much bigger.
Foreigners tend not to speak chinese, have better salary which creates a ghetto.
Young people in Beijing speak better english than those in Tokyo.
Therefore foreigners in tokyo speak better japanese than those in beijing do with chinese.
Beijing gives more opportunities and contrasts, Tokyo more efficiency and quality.

As usual there is no conclusion because it depends mainly on what a person is looking for and his capacity of adaptability

Anniversary!

Standing bars are quite popular in Japan. Something completely missing in Italy.
Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of the best standing bar in Shimokitazawa where I had the oppportunity to play (not so nicely to be honest) with Sammy Barbeque ( the pirate), and Kume Django san (in the middle).
My apology to Piazzolla and Velazquez.

Did Milan win?

Yesterday Milan was announced to be the host of 2015 Expo.
Who did really win Milan’s citizens or the usual developer (i.e. Ligresti & C)?

Last week at the opening of Sakura Cafè in Tokyo Midtown I had the chance to meet Dr. Julian Worrall which is working and teaching here in Japan. Then I found an interview (and the longer essay )to the most powerful developer in Tokyo Minoru Mori which is worth reading.

One may see the completely different approach to city development which makes clear what european cities have as a unique element: the overlapping of history.

Hanami

Since a week the cherry blossom season started.
It is always a surprise how Tokyo people, which leave in one of the most urbanized area, still enjoy a natural event.  It is interesting because for once japanese seem to care about human relation more than social/work relation.
It is interesting because public space is used not only for mere consumption.
It is interesting because the shinto side of japanese spirits comes out.
Here some very short sequences from meguro river

Omotesando Open Air Architectural Museum

Co-branding is the usual strategy of fashion brands when it comes to architecture.
The two areas where this phenomenon is most visible are Ginza and Omotesando/Aoyama.
They are an open air contemporary architecture museum.
Here a view on Omotesando, By Ping Mag

Elements of urbanscape: taxi

An article of Ping mag on Taxi lights.

Architect World Cup: Japan

What if there was an Architect World Championship?
Here is how Honda san and I imagined Japan.

Japan

The national team is not anymore an outsider, they have great chances for the final victory. The team has probably one of the best mid field: the solidity of Ando, the creativity of Ito and two wings such as SANAA and Shigeru Ban.
Key player:  if SANAA is in a good day…
Keep an eye on: Ishigami is believed to be the new Pato, let’s see.

Coming next Holland, USA, Italy, France.

In praise of abstraction: Tokyo District Diagram

There an indescribable beauty in diagrams. Especially during this sur-modernité.
Tokyo is truly multi centered. Districts fight with each other trying to attract people to come and consume in their area. This a quick diagram I have been working on with my work collegues. Comments are welcome.

In praise of chikatetsu

地下鉄　chikatetsu is the japanese word for underground metro train (with 3 ideograms: ground, under, iron).
Tokyo structure and layout is often influenced by it. Last week I saw the advertisement of a new mansion that had as a plus the fact of being 1 minute away from the metro station.
Japanese try to have their house and their job on the same metro line. For this reason magazines order flat rental opportunities based on metrolines. One can check all the flat available on the Odakyu line or the inokashira line…
If these seems rather dull and unexciting take a look at Joe Nishizawa’s pictures and probably  they will look quite close to an image of a futuristic Tokyo .

woman only train

 http://www.vimeo.com/618420
A quite unique feature of Tokyo metro system are the woman only trains during rush hours. This was established to prevent sexual harassment.
A video of Ian Lynam gives more detail about it.

Ryoji Ikeda first solo exhibition

A few weeks ago I mentioned Ikeda as an interesting artist.
Soon there will be his first solo exhibition which I am looking forward to visit.
If you are into radical sound experiments, math and hamburgers this should be for you.

ArchiStarLand

Today I went to Omotesando for a site visit concerning a proposal we are elaborating.
Omotesando is nowadays an architectural branded museum. What is surprising is the low quality of public space of this street. This is quite understandable if we think that the main developer of the area are private construction company, fashion brands with the final touch of Starchitect. None of the three is interested in what is happening between buildings.What is especially bad is the street furniture ( lamp poles, bridges, benches, floor pavement).
After I went inside the new MVRDV building “Gyre” (branded building must have a name nowadays), next to SANAA’s, in front of Ando’s.
Few observation:
-the building has a relatively quite facade for tokyo. this was one of the intentions of the design
-on the adv brochure it is written:
The GYRE experience takes you to a space where imagination expands and shopping becomes more conscious. Here you find materials energized by exquisite craftmanship, design that inspires everyday life, care for the environment, the beauty and richness of the seasons”
After reading my memories went back to university project presentations where everyone is writing “these new space is a new experience, enhancing your …., the great feeling….super…wellness…” Then one turns to the project images and not it is not so sure how much of that is really perceivable.
In my opinion the GYRE does not differ that much from other brand-architecture but i did get a lot of inspiration, negative one.
-technology: it is possible to connect your mobile with the GYRE website and get information. In this way one should “Shop and Think” as the brochure claims?
This connection between technology and real space should have probably been developed with some physical computing expert to influence the architecture on a deeper level. Placing 4 screen on each floor, in2008, is not enough.

Animation of the building.

Conclusion:
*In today’s StarArchitecture, as in politics, on the opposite of physics, words are facts.
Talk well, sell your self well and everything will be fine.

Megacities.

Forbes published an article on megacities, huge urban clusters.
Here is a summary (population i guess refers to the urban area surrounding the city):

#1. Tokyo, Japan
Projected Population in 2015: 35.5 million
Population in 2005: 35.2 million

#2. Mumbai, India
Projected Population in 2015: 21.9 million
Population in 2005: 18.2 million

#3. Mexico City, Mexico
Projected Population in 2015: 21.6 million
Population in 2005: 19.4 million

Shinjuku Lights Up

This year Shinjuku Southern Beat project lights up!

here the website (japanese only but with animation)
for more information about previous years:

Shinjuku Southern Beat 2005

Shinjuku Southern Beat 2006