LECTURE 2- METABOLISM AND ARCHIGRAM

• 1. Metabolists -1959 -Kisho Kurokawa

large scale, flexible and extendable structures that enable an organic growth process
Kenzo Tange, Kiyonori Kikutake, Akira Shibuya, Youji Watanabe
Influences- Moshe Safdie

• 2. Europe- Peter Cook, Archigram, 1961

Kisho Kurokawa- 1934-2007

‘Philosophy of Symbiosis’

• Cooperating While Competing

• The Age of the Death of God and the Icon

• A Mirror Society

• The End of Universality

• The Mix-and-Match Age

• Metabolism- biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms and

cells (Greek- change)

• Interchangeability and recycling

• Machine Age- Age of life

• Symbiosis- abolishment of opposites (no either/or) Japanese Zen Buddhism

• Distance from Euro-centric International Style

• Philosophy and architecture-

• Information

• Metamorphosis – scale city- scale architecture

1
Slide 1 Kenzo Tange
Tokyo Bay, 1961- artificial tree

Slides 2-6 Kurokawa- Nakagin Capsule Tower 1970-1972

Slides 7-8 Sporting Club at Illinois Center, Chicago, 1988

• Japanese Garden with many huge stones
• Homage to Sullivan and Mies
• power/ weakness as the Japanese vitality
Slides 9-11 Center Pompidou- competition proposal- 1970
1. Metabolism with parts that can be changes and recycled
2. Information column - column not only as a structure, but as a flow of information
3. Symbiosis with nature - man made green hill- urban hill
4. Symbiosis with history – limited height, descending urban hill
• Metamorphosis - From an assembly of units to architecture- by an oblique roof garden
Slides 12-15 Fukuoka Bank- 1975- large plaza under a large overhang- engawa
En- intermediate space -prevents sharp distinctions between outside and inside

Slides 16-17 Hiroshima Art Museum 1990 - approach plaza in the center of the building
60% below ground- view from the city
design of roof and walls- traditional warehouse kura

Slides 18-21 Pacific Tower 1992

1. Urban gate- harmony with Grand Arche
2. Urban roof – staircase under large roof used as an outdoor multipurpose theater
3. Symbiosis of Japanese and European culture- Shoji, curved façade, Japanese garden
and a tea ceremony room , Japanese traditional Taiko bashi arch bridge
4. Symbiosis of tradition and future- intelligent office building

Slides 22-23 Melbourne Central

Slides 24-27 Van Gogh Museum
Slide 28 Beijing Theater
Slides 29-30 Moshe Safdie- Habitat Montreal

II Peter Cook –Archigram- 1961

playful, pop-inspired visions of technocratic future

• Warren Chalk, Peter Cook, Dennis Crompton, David Greene, Ron Herron, Michael Webb

Peter Cook -1964 Plug- In City

Walking City- Ron Herron

• Graz Kunsthaus 2000- Peter Cook, Colin Fournier - Public museum for art and
electronics