What would «Tokyo Palazzo» look like if it was built in Ginza? Which spatial schemes, functional and programmatic division would fit best for the intricate needs and habits of the building’s residents and tenants? How a <<palazzo≫ would interact with the context, which urban qualities will it create and which characteristics will become dominant at this specific place? How flexible should it be to be able to suit both nowadays and future needs of society?
The spirit and soul of the area would affect building’s character and appearance which will make the typology of a <<Ginza palazzo» unique for Tokyo.
Sleeping With Art
THE NIGHT SPENT WITH ART
The project is a proposal for an art complex containing an exhibition hall, a visiting artist residence, a café, a sculpture park and three art accomodation units. The site is a parking lot located in a busy area of Jiyugaoka, fac- ing one of the main shopping streets. The part facing the main road is occupied by an old tra- ditional wooden japanese house accompanied by big old trees which are `hiding` the inner part of the site where accomodations are lo- cated and create a quiet lagoon in the middle of this busy district.
The main concept of the proposal is to high- light the cultural history of Jiyugaoka and al- low visitors to experience art from a different perspective, that is to say the opportunity to spend the night together with art.
The artist residence connected to the exhibi- tion hall provides a special experience where the artist can be seen working at the time of ongoing exhibition.
During the day, the accomodations are open to the public as part of the sculpture park. During the night the units, designed to have their own private `gardens` transforms from
exhibition units to accomodating ones.
This transformation was one of the main focus points during the design process of the pro- posal.
The location of the site, disposition of the units on site in a sequence gradually opening up and the fact of unexpected usage of these units re- flects the head theme of unpredictability.
Upstream
The evolution of the different communis of an ecology typically starts with the available resources, the ʻRes communisʼ. In Inokashira Park, these resources can be considered as the basic foundations of the park. The trees and their shade, the water and its reflection, the birds and their singing – all make up this most primal layer of what can be considered the ʻInokashira Park ecologyʼ. The area of Inokashira Park was formerly restricted to be used solely by the Imperial family. This practice, or ʻPraxis communisʼ, was thus very limited and can even be considered to have been completely restrictive. Only until after the area had been donated to the people and was opened as a park in 1917 were the resources unlocked to the public. But, merely opening a park does not truly make it accessible to the public. Certain facilities, or ʻLex communisʼ, were constructed to allow for the visitors of the park to actually enjoy and experience the Res communis Inokashira Park had to offer. These newly built paths, benched, fences and more, had changed the Praxis communis of the landscape into something that could be practiced by all people visiting. Over time, however, more and more Lex communis was added to the park. Bridges, a variety of benches, many toilets, different paths, restaurants and even a paid zoo and swan-shaped pedalos became a part of the Inokashira Park ecology. Most of these additions did not deal with presenting the resources of the park to its users, however – they simply allowed for the accommodation of many more visitors. Those that did, however, required a fee to access these resources. This is how we encountered Inokashira Park – a theme park for the masses. Having observed the different layers of the three communis of Inokashira Park, simultaneously, we got to understand the way these communis interacted and how much they were dependent on each other. We learned how the practiced Praxis communis was lacking order because of the built Lex communis and, in turn, how the built Lex communis interfered with making the available Res communis accessible to the people. This meant that the Lex communis could be considered the crux within Inokashira Park. Their placements, practicalities and appearances lack consideration regarding its surroundings and usage. By understanding the issues at hand and by analysing its causes, we were able to pinpoint which interventions would have to be made to improve the functionality of the multi-layered ecology of Inokashira Park. Firstly, the built structure of the park is to be clarified and simplified by means of subtraction and adjustment. Certain paths will be removed or redirected; its surface materials changed and their facilities adjusted, so that a smoother flow of the different Praxis communis that are practiced within the park can be realised. As such, these different Praxis communis will be less likely to interfere with each other, without limiting their potential expressions. Secondly, by subtracting certain parts of the park structure, opportunities open up for the placements of new kind of Lex communis. These ʻpocketsʼ will be realised to provide for a better way of experiencing the resources of the park, so that the Praxis communis can truly grasp the Res communis of Inokashira Park.
Toilet
The development of the toilet and the treatment of excrement in Japan are closely linked to a growing mechanization of the lavatory as a device and its progressive shift vis-à-vis the house from outdoors to indoors. In the Edo and early Meji Periods toilets were located at the edge of or outside the house. Conceived as a squat-latrine system, made out of wood, it was adapted for the easy collection of the excrement, which was then used as fertilizer. Between the World Wars, new systems, new materials, and even new toilets (for instance toilet bowls) were slowly introduced, while the collection of sewage became more and more mechanized, with basket collection being successively replaced by trucks, then mobile vacuum-extraction units, and later still by a Western type of sewage system with pipes. In recent years the predominant European-based device has become hyper-Japanized, highly automated (including washing, drying, background noise, cleaning, disinfecting, etc.), and even described and praised as something kawaii (cute, adorable) in the public narrative.
Mother Trap
In the analyze part we had as a case of study a woman with a high degree diploma. She is confronted into two choices, being a mother and have a family or having a career. At last, she chose to be a mother.
By “Mother trap palazzo” project we want to bring a solution for moms like her, who wants to be a mom and have a family but also, make use of her studies and why not keep on working. And in the same time enjoy what all women needs, beauty salons, boutiques, and outdoor places.
That’s why we imagined a building in which a mom could live with her family, take care of her child, work and relax all in one. We wanted it to be a place where a mom doesn’t worry about her child during the day, the kindergarten is just located on the first floor.