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 .

Space for your future exhibition

 ”Space for your future” I was expecting an exhibition somehow similar to the Wired Magazine issue co-edited by OMA/AMO in which 20 new spaces were proposed.
The exhibition presents different works dealing with space (even if I did not understand why some where there).
The curator idea is not clearly explain, at least not in english. Therefore the risk is to turn the museum into a funfair for adults with a university degree. In some moments I did have this feeling.
I would recommend to people not too much into art/architecture, many works are really well known.
My conclusion:
-Ishigami Junya will be the next big thing of japanese architecture because he is good (even should develop more his own approach, to much SANAA)  and because it seems  he is the protegé of Sejima. (just personal opinion)

-video art needs to much time to be seen, maybe only 5% watch a 3min video so it should be communicated in a different way
-the work of Carsten Nicolai was a bit disappointing ( but usually is very interesting)
-SANAA’s flower house is the end stop? Will they make it to go further? Hard to believe. now is curved glass walls, essential furniture and flowers.

studying

Tokyo densities

1. Donki- department store
2. Commes des Garcons shop
3. Meiji Temple
4. Hachiko square in Shibuya

A quick glance on Tokyo different densities which remind us once more not to give a single opinion on japan. Differences coexist side by side.

blue phenomenon

Public Blue is a documentary about the appropriations of public space.
Suddenly Japan does not look so healthy and efficient.
Look at the interview of the director.

Diastemi paulisti

Interesting that is not a city of one of the supposed G-8 leading country to enforce a radical policy against public space advertisement.
article

In praise of small spaces

An interesting argumentation on the importance of the relation of space and the activities that take part in it.