Thesis statement/Program

Thesis statement

The Western culture began influencing Japanese society during the Meiji Era, 1868 to 1877. Since then, the coexistence of traditional culture and modern society has had a tremendous effect on how Japanese people live. The ideas of Zen culture and Shintoism in the society are gradually fading away which is clearly reflected in architecture. What kind of architecture will fit into the contemporary Japanese society, where tradition and Western culture coexist, to let Japanese society rediscover the roots of the culture? This question will lead Japanese architecture to enter into the new era as a space, which will able to let the user to escape from the chaos of the contemporary world and rediscover the long lost self.

Programs

- Place to create “artless art”

- Place to promote self-meditation which will lead to self-discovery and enlightenment Ex. Tea ceremony, archery, kendo, calligraphy

- Place for occupants to interact with nature and experience the seasons

- Place to meditate upon and appreciate the gift of food

- Place to prepare food

- Place to sleep

- Place to create bonds and promote family interaction

- Place to host and interact with guests

- A separate toilet to experience the true “Japan-ness quality” in Japanese architecture

The activities that occur in this Japanese space must be spiritual and associated with Zen, and also be translated to be appropriate to the contemporary society. These spaces should reflect and provide the meaning of Japanese culture, which is seen in tea ceremony, archery, kendo, and calligraphy, to lead people to enlightenment. Users of the space will be able to escape from the chaos of the contemporary world and rediscover the long lost self.

Japanese designed space has a static quality, which is created by the process of spatial division. This idea of organization and space involves the subdivision of large open space into smaller separate units, such as tatami mats. On the other hand, there is a dynamic quality of function of spaces. On top of the pattern of tatami mats, there are fusuma, paper doors that can separate the spaces into various sizes according to the activities. On top of this layer, there is a dominant spatial division by using the side gardens.

The contemporary Japanese space will contain activities that lead to the rediscovery of Japanese culture, which are organized in multiple layers of the hierarchy of privacy.