Himeji Castle
known as Shirasagi-jo, Castle of the White Heron
Himeji, Japan
begun 1333, this iteration c. 1601-1609
Japanese Monographs
A selection of texts on Japanese architecture, both historical and contemporary. This list is necessarily abbreviated, as it would be impractical to list every title or architect, and is intended to provide a representative sample of materials available in the library.
Impressions of Japanese Architecture by
"The best book on Japanese architecture ever produced by a Westerner." —The American Architect Japanese architecture is undoubtedly less well known and less appreciated than the architecture of any other civilized nation. Not only this, but it is almost universally misjudged, and while the world has by degrees come to know and admire the pictorial and industrial arts of Japan, her architecture, which is the rot and vehicle of all other modes of art, is passed over with a casual reference to its fantastic quality or a patronizing tribute to the excellence of some of its carved decoration. Written at a time when Japanese art was only beginning to be appreciated in the West, Impressions of Japanese Architecture conveys a sense of discovery and enthusiasm that modern readers will find as interesting and infectious as the book's first readers did. Long considered a classic, this new edition contains a foreword by acclaimed contemporary architect and author, Mira Locher. Originally published about one hundred years ago, Impressions of Japanese Architecture is still of immense value to anyone wishing for a better understanding of Japanese architecture, art and culture.
Call Number: Online accessISBN: 9781462900800Publication Date: 2011
Tokyo, Hope and Recovery: urban civilization and environment by Call Number: Main Large 711 T646ISBN: 4893311298Publication Date: 1996
Meiji revisited : the sites of Victorian Japan by
During the Meiji period (1868-1912), the Japanese laid the foundations for what is now the most advanced nation in Asia. Like Victorian Britain, which served as a model, Meiji Japan was characterized by faith in progress, civilization, and the growth of empire. This book features the architecture and feats of engineering of this age, illustrating Japan's transformation from a feudal society into a modern nation-state. Factories and schools, palaces and prisons, private homes, churches, hospitals, railways, bridges, canals, shipyards, warehouses, parks, and museums are all discussed, with attention to both the nuances of their design and construction and to their broader significance in reflecting and shaping the lives and consciousness of the people who built and used them.
Call Number: 720.952 F514mISBN: 0834802880Publication Date: 1994
Shōkō-ken : a late medieval daime sukiya style Japanese tea-house by Call Number: 722.12 W183sISBN: 0415944031Publication Date: 2002
Katsura by
This book presents a detailed history of Katsura, the 17thcentury Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Japan that is a pivotal work of Japanese Architecture, often described as the "quintessence of Japanese taste". First revealed to the modern architectural world by Bruno Taut, the great German architect, in the early 20th century, Katsura stunned and then excited the architectural community of the West. Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, pillars of the Modernist establishment, were fascinated by Katsura's "modernity." They saw in its orthogonal and modular spaces, devoid of decoration, clear parallels to contemporary Modernism, going so far as to proclaim Katsura a "historical" example of Modernity. This book documents the palace in detail, combining newly commissioned photographs, detailed drawings, archival material and historical analysis.
Call Number: Large 728.82095 K19ISBN: 9781904313373Publication Date: 2005
Nikken Sekkei: building modern Japan 1900-1990 by Call Number: 720.952 N692ZnISBN: 1878271016Publication Date: 1990
Shaking the Foundations: Japanese architects in dialogue by
Shaking the Foundations reveals the personalities and passions hidden behind the cool, abstract exterior of the Japanese design scene in the form of a collection of interviews. Renowned architects such as Tadao Ando and Kisho Kurokawa speak out on issues ranging from the rebirth of Japanese design after World War II to progressive technologies, while newcomers disclose the trials and tribulations of "making it" in today's highly competitive commissions market. These frank, controversial, and at times humorous exchanges provide an informative overview of a lively and multifaceted professional discourse. All the architects interviewed show a special interest in creating a particularly Japanese architecture for the coming century. If any one view on this topic identifies Japanese architecture as a distinct movement, it is the conscious decision to contradict Western architecture, to swim against the tide of European and American cultural imperialism.This radical position reflects the freedom Japanese architecture has attained through its strong international presence and unique cultural character. And if the past and the present are any indication of the future, then this volume predicts that Japanese architecture will gain a stronger foothold and following in global design theory in the decades to come.
Call Number: 720.952 S527ISBN: 9783791320007Publication Date: 1999
Modern Japanese architecture : masters and mannerists in the 1950-60s by
Modern Japanese Architecture deals with architecture of the "New Japanese School" during the 1950-60s, of which architects from the generation of Kenzo Tange were leading exponents. They understood how to develop and combine their extensive knowledge of Le Corbusier's architecture with traditional Japanese architecture. The book presents a Le Corbusier inspired Modern Mannerism. In the book, Modern Mannerism is not understood as a style but rather as a method of architectural design. This method led to a particularly refined modern architecture characterised by a combination of the clarity and order of the Modernism and by the Japanese tradition of poetic symbolism. Included in the book is an introduction by the Architect Toyo Ito, who has been influenced by the architecture of the New Japanese School. Marianne Ibler is Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture & Design, Aalborg University, where she teaches architectural composition and history/theory of architecture. She is an Architect MA with a Ph.D. in history of architecture and holds an MA in East Asian Area Studies from the University of Aarhus.
Call Number: 720.952 I12mISBN: 8773076937Publication Date: 2003
Project Japan by
Back to the future: Visionary architecture in postwar Japan "Once there was a nation that went to war, but after they conquered a continent their own country was destroyed by atom bombs... then the victors imposed democracy on the vanquished. For a group of apprentice architects, artists, and designers, led by a visionary, the dire situation of their country was not an obstacle but an inspiration to plan and think... although they were very different characters, the architects worked closely together to realize their dreams, staunchly supported by a super-creative bureaucracy and an activist state... after 15 years of incubation, they surprised the world with a new architecture--Metabolism--that proposed a radical makeover of the entire land... Then newspapers, magazines, and TV turned the architects into heroes: thinkers and doers, thoroughly modern men... Through sheer hard work, discipline, and the integration of all forms of creativity, their country, Japan, became a shining example... when the oil crisis initiated the end of the West, the architects of Japan spread out over the world to define the contours of a post-Western aesthetic...." --Rem Koolhaas / Hans Ulrich Obrist Between 2005 and 2011, architect Rem Koolhaas and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist interviewed the surviving members of Metabolism--the first non-western avant-garde, launched in Tokyo in 1960, in the midst of Japan's postwar miracle. Project Japan features hundreds of never-before-seen images--master plans from Manchuria to Tokyo, intimate snapshots of the Metabolists at work and play, architectural models, magazine excerpts, and astonishing sci-fi urban visions--telling the 20th century history of Japan through its architecture, from the tabula rasa of a colonized Manchuria in the 1930s to a devastated Japan after the war, the establishment of Metabolism at the 1960 World Design Conference in Tokoy, to the rise of Kisho Kurokawa as the first celebrity architect, to the apotheosis of Metabolism at Expo '70 in Osaka and its expansion into the Middle East and Africa in the 1970s. The result is a vivid documentary of the last moment when architecture was a public rather than a private affair. Oral history by Rem Koolhaas and Hans Ulrich Obrist Extensive interviews with Arata Isozaki, Toshiko Kato, Kiyonori Kikutake, Noboru Kawazoe, Fumihiko Maki, Kisho Kurokawa, Kenji Ekuan, Atsushi Shimokobe, and Takako and Noritaka Tange Hundreds of never-before-seen images, architectural models, and magazine excerpts Layout by award-winning Dutch designer Irma Boom
Call Number: NA1555.5.M48 K66 2011ISBN: 9783836525084Publication Date: 2011
The Contemporary Tea House: Japan's top architects redefinea tradition by
The tea house is one of Japans most original buildingsa very small, very simple space consisting of tatami mat, tokonoma (the alcove where wall scrolls are hung and flower arrangements placed), ro (the sunken stove where tea is heated) and nijiriguchi (the half door through which guests enter) . For generations, Japanese architects have embraced the challenge of the tea house despite severe formal constraints. Now, this beautiful and fascinating volume takes the traditional tea house and turns it on its head. An informative introduction explains the
Call Number: Large 725.70952 I85cISBN: 9784770030467Publication Date: 2007
Architecture in Japan by
Contemporary architecture by country TASCHEN's new architecture series brings a unique perspective to world architecture, highlighting architectural trends by country. Each book features 15 to 20 architects?from the firmly established to the up-and-coming?with the focus on how they have contributed to very recent architecture in the chosen nation. Entries include contact information and short biographies in addition to copiously illustrated descriptions of the architects? or firms? most significant recent projects. Crossing the globe from country to country, this new series celebrates the richly hued architectural personality of each nation featured. Architects/firms included: Hitoshi Abe Tadao Ando Jun Aoki Shigeru Ban Masaki Endoh Shuhei Endo Hiroshi Hara Arata Isozaki Toyo Ito Waro Kishi Kengo Kuma Fumihiko Maki Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / S A N A A Yoshio Taniguchi Tezuka Architects Makoto Sei Watanabe Makoto Yokomizo
Call Number: Large 720.952 J63jISBN: 9783822839881Publication Date: 2006
Place, Time and Being in Japanese Architecture by
This work examines built forms which, by actively celebrating a particular place, time or pattern of material being, seem able in a number of ways to enhance our experience of existence. In addition to highlighting the transcultural human benefits of such environments, Place, Time and Being in Japanese Architecture also illustrates generally applicable strategies for revealing these universal parameters in built forms. It is suggested that greater use of such techniques could not only help to sustain environmental and cultural identities against the homogenizing effects of globalization, but can also heighten our appreciation of the peculiar condition 'being here now.'
Call Number: Large 720.952 N976pISBN: 9780419240105Publication Date: 2004
