Kunio Maekawa is an architect who designed and built his own house, The Maekawa House, in 1941(Reynolds, 2001). Since the war was going on, he was only able to construct his home with limited materials (Reynolds, 2001). Nevertheless, he was still able to incorporate the traditional Japanese architecture with influences of the western style. The Maekawa House is considered to be modern because of the introduction it had of a different type of design in Japan (Reynolds, 2001). Maekawa obtained the traditional wood construction and spacious garden; he added the living/dining room in the center of the house. The bedroom was in the back corner of the house for privacy reasons, and the other rooms were design on both sides of the living room (Reynolds, 2001)., which was a western influence. Maekawa also preserved the sliding doors with rice paper to allow light into the house and had big openings to let air in. The sliding doors opened up to the garden in order to have a connection between the interior and exterior parts of the home (Reynolds, 2001). Maekawa was able to fuse both Japanese and Western styles of architecture and made modern Japanese architecture the rising trend of his time period. At first he was slightly hesitant to lose the identity of Japanese culture, but Maekawa managed to embrace this innovation.
Kunio Maekawa was born in 1905 in the city of Niigata, Japan (Maekawa, 1984). Maekawa’s parents were decedents of samurai origins, relatives from his mother’s side were retainers of the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki (Maekawa, 1984). His father’s side of the family were retainers of the powerful Ii clan of Omi (Maekawa, 1984). In the beginning of the Meiji Restoration the samurai families had their earnings taken away and their...
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...ead of tatamis, and Maekawa also had western furniture (Reynolds, 2001).Then the Maekawa house was relocated to Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei City, Tokyo to commemorate Kunio Maekawa in 1945.
Maekawa’s journey with LeCorbusier helped him establish his architectural career (Maekawa, 1984). Whether or not he agreed with LeCorbusier’s ideas, he made his own modernism based on the needs of the country and what he thought was important to his later students and colleagues. He was one of many Japanese architects who worked out abroad right after graduating the university. He gained a lot of insight and fulfilled the European’s architectural trends and brought it back to Japan with him. On the later years he entered many competitions and was denied (Maekawa, 1984). His work seemed to be modern, with no Japanese tradition or history behind his design.
In his 1996 chapter of “The Grand Shrines of Ise and Izumo: The Appropriation of Vernacular Architecture” of the Architecture and Authority in Japan, William Howard Coaldrake explores the history and the purpose of the Grand Shrines of Ise and Izumo.
Marcel Breuer Associates, . The Legacy of Marcel Breuer. 32. Tokyo, Japan: Architecture Publishing Co., 1982. Print.
In the ancient Japanese culture, one great aspect was on how they emphasized on the intrinsic themes of loyalty and honor. They had fierce warriors known as samurai’s. A samurai was a traditional warrior who would protect and be loyal to their masters no matter what. They were known to be skilled soldiers, benevolent men, self-sacrifice, sense of shame, along with other major characteristics that embodied them as a samurai. While this class of warrior no longer exist today, the remembrance of a samurai is present in the minds of the characters in the novel, The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Tsukiyama does a fascinating piece of work by really elaborating and describing the great attributes that Matsu possess of a true samurai. In the
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
The Japanese warrior, known as the samurai, has played a significant role in Japan's history and culture throughout the centuries. Their ancestors can be traced back to as far as can be remembered. Some stories have become mysterious legends handed down over the centuries. In this report you will learn who the samurai were, their origins as we know them, how they lived and fought and their evolution to today. It will be clear why the samurai stand out as one of the most famous group of warriors of all times.
Do you have a living room, open floor plan, or carpet flooring? Most homes in America today have these basic essentials, and Frank Lloyd Wright can be credited for this. Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most influential Architects in American history. These innovations in modern architecture may not have occurred without him. Wright developed the Prairie style of architecture in 1909. This style is distinguished by horizontal lines on the exterior, a low pitched hipped roof, long bands of windows, wide overhanging eaves, and brick courses or wood bands. Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovations in architecture positively influenced the way American homes were built, therefore affecting their lives. His concept of an open floor plan encouraged families and people inside their homes to interact and relax
Decades after World War One, a new building style emerged and continues to affect architecture to this day. Modernism is less concern about ornaments and holds at a higher priority the purpose and structure of a building. One superb example is The Kimbell Art Museum located in Fort Worth, Texas. This Museum continues to hold prestige in the public eye. Kahn was able to successfully use natural light and material that emphasize his architecture, while not over shadowing the art work displayed. These are few reasons of why The Kimbell Art Museum is an ideal museum that has only contributed to the modern age. This work of art is what many buildings and museums have always longed to be.
In the process of development of human society, architecture and culture are inseparable. Cuthbert (1985) indicates that architecture, with its unique art form, expresses the level of human culture in different historical stages, as well as the yearning towards the future. According to his article, it can be said that architecture has become one of the physical means for human to change the world and to conquer the nature. Consequently, architecture has been an important component of human civilization. Since 1980s when China started the opening and reforming policy, a variety of architectural ideas, schools and styles have sprung up. Accompanying with a momentum of...
His works were totally reflected and enhanced the environment of nature on the site, the whole idea of a house could be were forever changing when it is his design. Wright’s architectural achievements in simplicity and unity were possible to be build supported by the method of the construction and materials like; Reinforced concrete, steel, metal sheet, glass plate and plastics. This genius architect offered a building with a relationship of Architecture and landscape, with community as well. Many projects nowadays have influenced from Wright’s modern styles, this well-known architect has many influences that became his principles. First is his exemplary teacher...
In the work of Best, S. and Kellner, D. “Postmodern turn” (1997, p.152) they state that postmodern architecture was a particular reaction to the aesthetics and as they describe “Philosophical assumptions” of the International Style. This is because one believes that the International style was refusing to incorporate the architectural forms of previous generations as if they were trying to detach themselves from the past.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier are two very prominent names in the field of architecture. Both architects had different ideas concerning the relationship between humans and the environment. Their architectural styles were a reflection of how each could facilitate the person and the physical environment. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, is considered one of the most important buildings in the history of American architecture and Le Corbusier s Villa Savoye helped define the progression that modern architecture was to take in the 20th Century. Both men are very fascinating and have strongly influenced my personal taste for modern architecture. Although Wright and Corbusier each had different views on how to design a house, they also had similar beliefs. This paper is a comparison of Frank Lloyd Wright‘s and Le Corbusier ‘s viewpoints exhibited through their two prominent houses, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye.
Miyamoto Musashi was born in 1584, in a Japan struggling to recover from more than four centuries of internal strife. The traditional rule of the emperors had been overthrown in the twelfth century, and although each successive emperor remained the figurehead of Japan, his powers were very much reduced. Since that time, Japan had seen almost continuous civil war between the provincial lords, warrior monks and brigands, all fighting each other for land and power. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the lords, called daimyo, built huge stone castles to protect themselves and their lords and castle towns outside the walls began to grow up. These wars naturally restricted the growth of trade and impoverished the whole country.
The book as a description of modern architecture, its styles and influence succeeds but falls short as a prescriptive methodology. His work is still recalled for the need by modernists to categorize everything into neat little boxes, not necessarily for the sake of uniformity, but for sake of some ambiguity. The ambiguity may be the triumph of this book as post modern architecture era is supposed to create more questions than the answers.
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...