#architecture book

[germanpostwarmodern]

Throughout his entire career architect Kurt Ackermann (1928-2014) continuously pursued a philosophy of constructive intelligence characterized by highest quality achieved with economical means and a comprehensible construction instead of gimmicky showmanship. And as a true all-rounder he worked on basically every building task: single-family homes, bridges, churches, office buildings and infrastructural works all were part of portfolio. In many of these projects Ackermann sought the close exchange with engineers resulting in a distinctive technological edge. The collaboration with engineers also was something Ackermann always fostered and encouraged, also in his teaching as professor at Stuttgart University.

In 2006 Matthias Schirren edited the present volume with Hatje Cantz that documents the multifacetedness: „Kurt Ackermann - Das Gesamtwerk des Architekten“ besides a complete work catalogue and numerous representative studies of highlight projects includes a number of insightful essays that address particular aspects of Ackermann’s work. Manfred Sack e.g. sheds light on the technicity of Ackermann’s buildings while the Abbot Odilo Lechner, based on his first hand experience with the architect, reports on his religious buildings. What emerges is the portrait of an architect whose architecture is the expression of his ethos: collaboration rather than self-realization and project specific solutions instead of repeating once found ones. An admirable attitude wonderfully presented in an elegant book.

[schau]

El Croquis, Pezo von Ellrichshausen, 2022

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[escapismsworld]

✨Pretty floor mosaics✨

[ai-dream]

[abustoslife]

[ur-daily-inspiration]

[daily-spooky]

Credit to moeai.art on Tik Tok

[vintagehomecollection]

In Manhattan, a 17th century screen attributed to the Kano school dictated a bedroom's design. Given the screen as a starting point by his client, architect Sam Takeuchi built a ledge behind the headboard for its display. A wall panel above holds the upper edge in place.

At Home With Japanese Design: Accents, Structure and Spirit, 1990

[anelaxoxo]

@anelaxoxo

"And you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine."

Mary oliver, from Evidence :poems, "when i am among the trees"

[germanpostwarmodern]

The built manifestations of Brutalism, despite their omnipresence on social media, remain controversial: especially in Europe they are loved by some and hated by many. In other parts of the world opinions aren’t as polarized and Brutalism simply a part of the built environment, e.g. in Japan. Okinawa-based photographer Paul Tulett has been exploring the Japanese brutalist heritage for years and in his new book „Brutalist Japan“, recently published by Prestel, points to the particular appeal concrete had in postwar Japan: it offered seismic safety, was resistant to termites and easy to pour in form and via the shuttering boards also left room for the skilled Japanese wood crafts. At the same time the Japanese tradition for leaving natural materials rough and raw played in the hands of „béton brut“ that, as Tulett explains, became „béton nécessaire“.

The former’s gradual aging and the acceptance thereof agains roots in Japanese tradition, i.e. the concepts of „wabi sabi“ and „mono no aware“ which embrace the beauty of imperfection and describe the ambivalent awareness of the fleeting nature of beauty. Against this background and Tulett’s introduction to Japanese philosophies it becomes easier to understand why Brutalism is a lot less controversial in Japan than it is in other parts of the world and never disappeared. Accordingly the buildings gathered in „Brutalist Japan“ date from the 1950s to the present day and offer a comprehensive panorama of Brutalism in Japan: in brilliant photographs Tulett shows classics like Kenzo Tange’s Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (1955) and Setagawa Ward Office (1959) or Le Corbusier’s National Museum of Western Art (1959) but also a plethora of little-known buildings. And they are compelling: the fortress-like Tanimura Art Museum (1983) by Togo Murano, the Keihan Uji Station (1995) by Hiroyuki Wakabayashi or the Okinawa Prefectural and Art Museum (2007) by Ishimoto and Niki Associates demonstrate the masterful use of raw concrete while also dealing with Japanese history and traditions.

This beautifully crafted mix of buildings makes the book a great read and an eye-opening survey of Japanese Brutalism. Highly recommended!

[n--m7]

[escapismsworld]

“Do not draw me without reason. Do not wield me without valor.”

[gentlemanmotorslifestyle]

[landsccape]

[abustoslife]