ARCHITECTURE AS A HERITAGE DISCLOSURE MEDIUM

Many papers say that Tadao Ando’s architecture is not subjected to Western criticism, which is still in the phase of remission of “reconciling contrast” of regional dualism. In his works, Ando reveals the inadequacy of the Western approach to architecture by re-examining the position of traditional elements of Japanese architecture in the new light of modernism.

In the East, “loneliness and togetherness”, as well as “order and chaos”, are considered closely related.

Elemire Zolla

Tadao Ando
Photo: Kinji Kano

Many papers say that Ando’s architecture is not subjected to Western criticism, which is still in the phase of remission of “reconciling contrast” of regional dualism. In his works, Ando reveals the inadequacy of the Western approach to architecture by re-examining the position of traditional elements of Japanese architecture in the new light of modernism.

Francesco Dal Co stated that Ando is admittedly returning to tradition, but only to create a helpless and inconsolable architecture that points to the irreconcilable distance that separates tradition from real life. Ever since his early works, Ando has shown the urge to re-examine the values of both traditional and functional hierarchies. Explaining the goal of the Azuma house plan in his hometown Osaka, Ando displaces technical applications as the bearers of a single building, but rather as a space treatment that should provide all aspects of a comfortable life, which devices cannot. Having this peculiarity in mind, not only in the Japanese climate, but on a global level as well, the self-taught architect stands out as a pioneer of the “New Wave”, which in the spirit of modern arts, without fear and prejudice, influences the discourse of architectural creation.

We can talk about the milieu from which Ando grew into one of the world’s most influential architects, and even about the period marked by Japanese Metabolists architecture in two contexts. The first one, whose escalation, through the prism of architectural recovery in the period after the Second World War, in order to raise urban efficiency, is, above all, largely encouraged by technological development, and is integrated in the design phases itself; and, the second one is the cultural aspect, or, more precisely, the eccentric subcultural nature that adorns the city of Osaka.

This city still holds the title of Japan’s creative hub, but its fellow citizens did not make any less contributions during the period of its revival. The symbol of Osaka’s creative work, or, in other words, the period which identifies the urban modern era, is reflected in the early works of artist and director OsamuTezuka, another one of Ando’s fellow citizens, author of the mangas “Astro Boy”, “Black Jack”, “Kimba the White Lion” and others, which, even today,are still an unavoidable theme of the ninth art in Japan. The New Wave in film opened the door to sarcasm in comedy, wherein Osaka’s cinema scene was in the lead, while, when we talk about music and sports, many would argue (with reason) that Osaka is, in some respects, ahead of Tokyo in that rivalry. Above all, this once main trading port and gateway to Japan, has the virtue of openness in accepting diversity and localizing Western values over time. Thus, it is not surprising that many texts about Ando, among which we could single out records from Marina Fumo, indicate a refined, uncompetitive or purely replicated treatment of Western architecture through their works. This does not mean that he endangered traditional Japan in any way. On the contrary, as Tanizaki Junichiro wrote in his essay on aesthetics and culture, In Praise of Shadows (1933), symbolism in Japan is not exact, while it is open for further interpretation. Even Ando himself emphasizes the importance of understanding individualism and regional differences, both of which are in the center of his acquired spatial planning skills through universalistic modernism.

As a self-taught architect, Ando, with his records of world architecture, confronted the spatial experience and form of Western architecture with the Japanesethrough the objects he visited. While describing the Pantheon in Rome, Ando states that it is a moment of realizing the meaning of architectural space, while, later in the text, he compares this centric plan with the longitudinal traditional Japanese one, reflecting on the power of multidimensional treatment of one single space. This, perhaps, represents the stronghold of some of the most significant, or, at least, the most authentic achievements of Ando, which unite his aspiration to the treatment of space, above all.

This introduces us to Ando’s principles and methodology even before we start talking about the newly built He Art Museum project in China’s Guangdong Province, which was opened in the last quarter of 2020.

CULTURAL REVIVAL OF THE INDUSTRIAL REGION

The museum project is located in the new commercial district in the special zone of Foshan. The region in which this city is located is known for its large industrial clusters with a strong global export network, and an abundance of international companies crucial for the development of the city, including the investors of the He Museum of Art. In response to the initiative to improve the cultural offer of this city,Tadao Ando designed a museum for a client’s private collection of artifacts, which vary in time of origin – from traditional to modern times.

Right on the adjacent plot, which is located north and east of the central business building, and next to the park on the south side of the plot, which is also owned by the same client, a project was positioned, which, ever since the very beginning of development, had too many parameters for solving and arranging space due to the existing condition. Ando’s approach to developing a solution for the project was unequivocally based on the idea of connecting these zones. The quality, which is inevitably brought by Ando’s architecture, is recognizable in tridimensional arranged functional units, whose levels are divided by dominant wall surfaces. In addition to reinforced concrete, which is “reinvented” in this project, we do notice an installation of a long glass wall, just as spectacular as a multi-functional exhibition space, its harmony provides an adequate ambience for landscaping, and not for its separation and entanglement.

If we look at the plan more carefully, we can understand what Ando means when he says that harmony is the main architectural motif of the He Museum of Art. The Chinese character for “He” （合） refers to harmony. In Guangdong Province, it is often described through a balance of the opposites Ying and Yang Harmony can also be effectively replaced by a combination of art as an expression, and of cultural heritage as the bearer of the Guangdong identity (Nanyue), which in this province is also represented by the Lingnantraditional vernacular architectural circular settlements (left by the builders of the Hakka minority). The circular strokes on the ground floor and the plan of the building represent the focal point, not only of this plot, but also of the wider location that is “equalized” by this complex, urban, functional and spatial confrontation. We would not be wrong if we said that Ando is the first person able to understand the importance of restoring the unity of “home and nature”, given the challenges it faced during Japan’s rapid development by fighting the “sameness” of universality on one hand, and the inflexible traditional architecture on the other hand.

The museum building itself has a plan also, which can be interpreted in several ways through the already mentioned philosophical moment, while in the architectural dictionary, the museum is a four-story building,whose radius basically increases gradually in the upward direction, making a larger light opening in the interior, while the overhang creates shading outside (which is very welcoming in the subtropical climate of Guangdong Province).

The spiral circulation connects the exhibition zones of traditional Cantonese art (Nanyue), both modern and contemporary, with the café within it. The already mentioned multifunctional exhibition space is formed in a rectangular shape that gives surface flexibility with an exit to the -1 zone, and a passable roof, from where it is easy to enter from the main building of the museum.

Symbolically, these two basic geometric forms complement each other functionally, while the created form gives this gallery a distinctive character. From its initial idea, the project received a tactility of work that exceeded the basic geometric order.

HIS HOLINESS – LIGHT

Construction solutions for these floor shears lie in V-shaped pillars, whose slope reaches to the supporting beams of each floor. In space, these pillars give a striking disposition that has an essential role in Ando’s light shaping games.

If Ando’s project Church of Light in Ibaraki is proof that, with this immaterial element, he managed to create a new spatial perception, then the object of the He Art Museum would be a sublimation of its categories of light spatial intervention. Although, an object such as a museum requires carefully controlled natural lighting that would not affect the physical consequences of the artifacts. Therefore, we see an additional façade element in the form of narrow vertical lamellas, which give an unusual layer of shaded traces to those that the already existing structure makes. Although unusual, this effect completes Ando’s thought that “time changes the expression of light”, which could encounter new effects in this object.

The lighting of the atrium uncompromisingly defined the main architectural element of the interior space – a spiral double staircase that permeates through 5 floors, giving it a variable atmosphere depending on the time of day. The illuminated textures of the concrete finishing work in the interior flirt with the already mentioned versatility as a homage to Ando’s inexhaustible use of this material.

The year, which the Tokyo Olympic Games were supposed to mark a symbolic discourse of progress, rebirth and re-examination of values for the purpose of global convergence, will be remembered for the challenges that humanity has faced. Although successfully opened, the He Museum of Art suffered heavy losses in its production due to the expansion of the Covid-19 pandemic, having moved the planned opening from March 21st to October 1st, presenting the first exhibition “From the Mundane World”, organized by independent art curator and critic FengBoyi, along with Hu Bin, Wang Xiaosong, Liu Gang, and Shao Shu. In fact, the exhibition extends the original attributes of the secular landscape to production, consumption, ecology and the environment, examining the situation of human civilization in natural laws, emphasizing the concept of “Care” and its importance in today’s circumstances.

With this, Tadao Ando once again participated in the creative process of symbolic miracles, which he encompasses thanks to his striking expression and overpowering techniques of the basic units of his skills.

Prepared by: Jakša Nikodijević, MArch, for the 12th issue of the magazine “Arhitekta”