for the architecture geeks - some images of Tokyo

apartment building near our place - but don't know architect

movie theater by Nikken Sekkei

Yayoi Conference Center Annex at University of Tokyo by Taiji Kawano

Design 21_21 by Tadao Ando - the usual concrete is not visible at first - just the huge steel roof, but as expected the interesting section and the flawless concrete is revealed inside

the family having a yoga moment in front of Ando's building - Alice attempted poses to match the roof of the building

landscape at Tokyo Midtown between Ando's building and Kuma's - landscape architect was EDAW

"Where is Architecture?" exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo (designed by Taniguchi Yoshiro), with exhibits from various architects including Nakamura Ryuji, Naito Hiroshi, Atelier Bow-Wow and Toyo Ito

Tadao Ando designed a shopping mall - probably the only truly interesting shopping mall I've ever seen, but still a shopping mall.  There is some controversy about it because it replaced a much loved (by architects) public housing project from the 1950's on the site.  Ando attempted to keep the same height, so he had to dig into the ground to get enough space - and the corridors around the central space are all sloped inside - something you could never get away with in the U.S.  Its located in Omotesando - a trendy part of Tokyo.

The Palaceside Building from the 1960's by Nikken Sekkei - with a long facade made exclusively of shade devices and rainwater catchment gutters and downspouts.  Directly across from the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Suntory Museum of Art at Tokyo Midtown by Kengo Kuma - subtle, and beautifully detailed, but very little development of section because it is attached to an SOM shopping mall.

The kids enjoying a stone sculpture in Tokyo Midtown's mall.

nice wall near Tokyo tower

Green wall on Canon building.

Coffee House in Azuba Juban, Tokyo

Massing of this building in Azuba Juban was determined by daylight zoning regulations - pretty common strategy in Tokyo.

Newly finish green wall building in Azuba Juban - but can't track the architect's name yet - not yet published.

Mikimoto in Ginza, Tokyo by Toyo Ito.

Facade replacement on Tiffany's in Ginza by Kengo Kuma.

Finely detailed Dior building by SANAA in Omotesando.

my illegal photo of inside space behind wavy interior layer of double layered skin.  It was pretty clear we weren't Dior shoppers - although Alice took a liking to a dress, and didn't understand why we weren't going to entertain the idea....

Two Dior employees bowing a goodbye late in the evening

The Hermes store by Renzo Piano - definitely my favorite in Ginza - and perhaps all of Tokyo.  Beautifully executed details, and successfully combines a compelling facade (the most important thing for a high end retailer in Tokyo) with thoughtful section and structural concept.  Pictures don't quite explain it, and as usual, interior images are not allowed.

Just across the street from the Hermes store is this building under construction - almost as compelling at Piano's building.

Jun Aoki's restrained Louis Vuitton building in Ginza - will have to return in evening to get glow of the translucent stone panels inset in the concrete and stone wall.

Fortunately, Kisho Kurokawa's Nagakin Capsule building - one of the few built examples of  metabolism - hasn't been torn down yet - apparently Kurokawa was still negotiating with the US hedge fund company that owns it when he died in 2007.  Then the bubble popped in the US - but status is still uncertain.

Herzog and deMeuron's Prada store in Omotesando is nicely detailed and appears to aging well at this point.  I hadn't realized until seeing it that the glass panels alternate between being convex, flat and concave.  The landscape strategy is a bit scruffy - probably didn't hire an LA.

Tod's in Omotesando by Toyo Ito.

Gyre in Omotesando by MVRDV - despite the nice but unused stair (this was a very busy day and no one was on it), it unfortunately sits next to a much more interesting neighbor - SANAA's Dior.

Ando designed a Nike store, but Nike outgrew it, and now its an underwear store.  Yes, they are selling underwear in an Ando building.   Not too much visible concrete in this one - apparently this is a recent attempt from him to try other materials.

HH Style in Omotesando - an early 1990's project by Kazuyo Sejima - before SANAA believe - nice building - holding up pretty well, but doesn't have the sophistication of later projects.

Comme de Garcons in Omotesando by Future Systems

Fukutake Hall at University of Tokyo by Tadao Ando - a couple of buildings down from where I've spending my time in the Architecture Department - nice building - seems somewhat under-utilized.