INSIGHTS

2021.10.05

R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 34

Before-Before Architecture Theory
Design techniques that unravel history [Part 2]

Toru Ajisaka, Professor, Kagoshima University

R&D DISCUSSION TOP

Top image: Shirasu concrete house designed by Kagoshima University (left) / Renovation of the former Inogakura residence (right)

Q: Please tell us about the preservation and restoration projects you have worked on since taking up your position at Kagoshima University.

A: In 2016, we renovated the Kagoshima University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture Building (1972) [Photo 1]. It looks new, but it's actually an old, tiled building. While the standard procedure would be to remove the old facade tiles and install external insulation, there was a voice within the department saying, "We want to keep the tiles," so we went with internal insulation. Since we couldn't spend too much money, we kept high-quality, usable materials, such as the on-site terrazzo and staircase handrails, and removed the ceiling materials in areas like the drafting room to expose them, making the building a useful learning resource for students. It's important to identify and utilize the positive aspects of a building.

In addition, the former Ikagura residence in Kaseda, Minamisatsuma City, which I currently use as a weekend home, is an old house built around 1887 [Photo 2]. I hesitated because there was insufficient ventilation under the floor and it was severely damaged by termites, but I bought it and renovated it. Although the landscape of mountain castles has changed in this area now, it is a protected district for important traditional buildings that once flourished as the outer castle (foothills) of the Satsuma domain. With the help of students and members of the JIA (Japan Institute of Architects), I started by renovating the arm gate, whose tiles were in danger of falling off, and reduced the extension that was causing leaks and termite damage. The bath and toilet were renovated, but as with other cases, only unnecessary parts were removed and what remained was left. As the building is demolished, its old appearance becomes apparent. Where the entrance was, how the extension was made along the way, and so on. While carrying out the demolition and waste disposal myself, I also realized that there were problems with cheap new building materials. A plasterboard that can be bought for 300 yen can cost 1,000 yen to dispose of. I really made a variety of discoveries.

[Photo 1] "Renovation of the Kagoshima University Faculty of Engineering Department of Architecture Building" - finding and utilizing the best parts
[Photo 2] The "Renovation of the Former Ikagura Residence" aims to restore the residence to its original state while improving its functionality. The exterior of the south side before and after renovation (left) / Koza (right)

Q: What kind of architecture is "Before-Before Architectural Theory"?

A: Rather than the "Before-After" approach commonly used in Renovation, I refer to preservation and restoration, which deliberately leaves old things as they are, as "Before-Before." The more I learn about old buildings, the more I appreciate the brilliance of their design techniques. That's why I coined the term. I believe the idea of "preservation and restoration" is effective not only for restoring old buildings, but also for new constructions.

Article 9 of the Venice Charter states that architectural preservation and restoration must not involve speculative restoration or false designs that suggest something was previously there. In this regard, the DN Tower 21 (1995) in Yurakucho, designated a Tokyo Historical Building, raises questions. The project aimed to preserve and restore the L-shaped Dai-ichi Life Building and the rectangular Norinchukin Bank Yurakucho Building that sat within its recess, while redeveloping the building into a single block. However, an American architect demolished and relocated facade of the Norinchukin Bank Yurakucho Building, combining it with the Dai-ichi Life Building to form a single building. Furthermore, the interior is entirely new. I often discuss this issue in my university classes, and when I discussed it with law students at a certain university, many of them concluded that it violates the Venice Charter. Preservation and restoration design is extremely difficult, requiring a deep understanding of the surrounding environment and historical context at the time of construction, the design intent, and the materials originally used. Renovation should not become destruction, as in the case of the British architect James Wyatt (1746-1813), known as "the Destroyer."

Kagoshima University has an exchange with the University of Florence in Italy, and the graduation design presentations offered a glimpse of a perspective opposite to destructive renovation. I was also very interested in what kind of architecture students are studying in a country where new buildings are rarely constructed, but the graduation design drawings and models on display were very simple, and most of the presentation was devoted to explaining and analyzing the site. What I tell my students every day is, "What you see there is the site's 'present' appearance. It is the job of an architect to learn about events that have happened in the past, grasp the past, present, and future, and see what cannot be seen."

In order for an architectural work to be evaluated, it is important to show how the architecture contributes to society and the intention of the space and form in a way that everyone can understand, but the context of the site is particularly essential as a basis for the design. Is it "architecture that can be used over time and always be confronted," in other words, "architecture for people that becomes social capital," or "architecture that is consumed and for users"? I think Victor Hugo, who expressed this as "use and beauty" 200 years ago, is still wonderful. In the judging of the many architectural awards, such presentations influence the evaluation. It is also necessary to know well who the judges are. The Architectural Institute of Japan is a general incorporated association, and the award is for members of the society, and the judges are mostly university professors. JIA is a public interest incorporated association, and both companies and individual architects can apply, and the judges are mainly architects. A detailed strategy is essential to know what kind of story will resonate with each one.

Before-after photos are good, but it's also good to preserve the attractive elements of the before-and-after photos. The same goes for new construction, and we must not forget the spirit of tracing history and making use of it in the present.

Q: Even now, there are various architectural preservation and restoration movements around the world. There are moves to rebuild Shuri Castle in Okinawa immediately after it was destroyed by fire, and there are also discussions about how to repair the damage caused by the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. What are your thoughts on each of these?

A: I think that for any building to last a long time, there should be thorough discussion about what kind of construction method should be used and what kind of shape it should be restored in. Notre Dame Cathedral was destroyed during the French Revolution, and in the 19th century, French architect Viollet-le-Duc (1814-79) restored it to a thoroughly Gothic style, but it was completely different from its previous appearance. The interior was also in Romanesque style. I think that reconstruction will be done taking this history into account [Photo 3]. Tokyo Station was also restored to its original dome roof after discussions about which era's design should be restored, whether to the triangular roof that symbolizes postwar reconstruction or the dome roof from before. Shuri Castle was immediately called for to be rebuilt because local residents felt a strong sense of identity. That is the power that architecture originally has, but I think it does not exist in modern urban architecture. I think the reason why people in Tokyo cannot feel attached to their homes is because they have forgotten what it means to "continue to live there."

I'll soon be retiring, and after that, I'd like to get involved in urban development in Kaseda, where I currently live. I believe that urban development can only be achieved by actually living in the area for a long time. While a historic region has its own unique charm, it's not always easy. In fact, my father's childhood home is in Kaseda, and when it was decided to demolish it, I applied for and was selected for the Housing and Urban Development Leaders Project (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) that JIA was recruiting for, which led to my opportunity to teach at Kagoshima University. That was also because I joined JIA at the recommendation of my boss while I was at Mitsubishi Jisho Design, and you never know what connections will come your way. I hope to get to know the area and gain its trust over time, and then become involved in the preservation and restoration of architecture.

[Photo 3] Notre Dame Cathedral under restoration

[Photo: provided by Toru Ajisaka]

Back to Part 1

PROFILE

Professor at Kagoshima University

Toru Ajisaka

Ajisaka Tooru

Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in 1957, and raised in Osaka. After graduating from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, majoring in Civil Engineering, in 1983, he joined Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (now Mitsubishi Jisho Design). In 2013, he left Mitsubishi Jisho Design to become a professor in the Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University. Since assuming this position, he has taught Architectural Design classes and has been involved in activities related to the preservation and restoration of modern and contemporary architecture, regional revitalization, and the utilization of local assets, as well as exchanges with the University of Florence. He also serves as the chair of the JIA Excellent Architecture Selection Task Force, secretary of the JIA Kyushu Branch Kagoshima Regional Chapter, committee member of ICOMOS 20th Century Heritage-NSC20C, vice representative of DOCOMOMO Japan, and member of the Architectural Institute of Japan Workplace Subcommittee.

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R&D TOP

Update : 2021.10.05

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