What changes/what doesn't change in cities seen through relationships
Environmental color design for "new urban development" [Part 1]

First, I would like to ask you about your activities so far.

When I was a student, I encountered the field of "environmental color design," and I was fascinated by the research method and its application, which separated color from materials and shapes and "saw color as color." While we tend to focus on the proportions and form of a building, this methodology extracts colors for the area and each part of the building, and then applies the reconstructed color palette to new plans.

Earth colors are sometimes said to be "bland and dull," but in fact they create the important "ground." The word "earth" that creates the "ground" is made up of the words "earth" and "wood." It is very important to consider the unchanging "ground" in order to create a changing "figure." Things that change look beautiful because there are things that do not change. The field of environmental color aims to build such good relationships between colors.

There is a saying that "the place of a material is decided by the structure," and following that saying, "the place of color is in the material." In nature, vivid colors are found in living things such as flowers, insects, and animals, and are found near the ground's surface. These do not occupy large areas above human eye level. This structure of natural color harmony can also be applied to urban development. The sense of incongruity felt when a vivid building suddenly appears in front of you is due to the breakdown of the relationship between figure and ground. Even if it is attractive on its own, it may be difficult to build a relationship with the town.

Mr. Kato works on a wide range of issues, from formulating guidelines to color planning and design.

When I was involved in a condominium development for a major developer, I actually analyzed the colors of the town and considered and proposed the design of the building. The story and color proposals based on this color analysis were received as something fresh. Based on a single story, I sometimes propose designs that are consistently centered around color, from facade and exterior to the logos on promotional materials. The more people involved in a design project, such as the architecture, interior, and exterior, the more important it is to proceed while sharing the story, and I believe that color can be a link between them.

On the other hand, when dealing with colors that tend to be excessive, it is also necessary to make adjustments in a subtractive way. In the "Sayama Station West Exit District Urban Redevelopment Project," we participated as the secretariat of the meeting to adjust the individual designs, and were involved in fine-tuning the parts where each one came together.

Are there any jobs that are not limited to architecture or urban development?

For a plan to install permanent scaffolding for inspection on the Shuto Expressway, we are involved in examining the landscape from various perspectives, such as what color the panels should be and what the joints should be when they are installed on the existing expressway.

In Kato's book Color Notebook: 100 Tips for Thinking About Colors in Architecture and Cities (Gakugei Publishing, 2019), he writes, "Each region has its own color." This is a particularly striking phrase.

People tend to think that there are no "regional colors" in Japan, but in fact there are quite a few differences. For example, if you look at the color of the soil, it becomes a little brighter in the west, and the brightness and saturation decrease in the north.

In Japan, there is a long history of choosing materials to suit the climate and environment of the region. Even if they are replaced by modern building materials, the colors of the region are still inherited, and the color of the region still comes out. For example, Fukuoka City has many historical buildings made of bricks, and as a result, there are many paving stones with a slightly reddish color.

In fact, even in Tokyo (excluding outdoor advertisements), there is a clear difference between the wards and the Tama area. Especially in the last 15 years, the number of high-rise buildings, which are mainly made of dry facade such as panels, glass, and metal, has increased, and the brightness of the wards has increased. On the other hand, there is a trend toward lower brightness in facade of condominiums and office buildings, and the saturation has become much lower.

The charm of this "Nakadori" street is that it makes use of old things and has depth and richness to the town. The accumulation of time that tells the story of history and culture is what makes visiting the actual place interesting, and it is an important factor in inducing experiences that cannot be found in other areas.

I think that the ground of Nakadori is almost complete, and the design is currently in the process of changing.

First of all, there is a so-called "etiquette" that follows what is there and does not go beyond that range unnecessarily. Breaking or updating this is necessary as times change, but it is very difficult to determine "should we really break it here and now?" Rather than judging it on its own as good or bad, it is desirable to be able to convince yourself that it is necessary, even if it takes some time.

Nakadori used to be paved with asphalt. In other words, the "ground" was gray, but if the city had been developed in that way, it would not have become what it is today. I think the "right time to change the 'ground'" was during the third redevelopment of Marunouchi and the beautification of the streets (starting in the early 2000s).

On the other hand, when I am involved in various projects, the context can sometimes be lost in the rapidly changing city of Tokyo, and I sometimes find myself struggling to know what to base my work on.

The color of the building itself, that is, the color of the constantly changing "figure," may not actually be that important. However, the town is lined with distinctive colors and materials, and there are street trees there... so the "connection to the color of the 'ground'" should be carefully considered. It is best to judge from the colors of the surrounding things, or if you are building ahead of the surrounding things, choose a color that will build a relationship with whatever is built later.

Redevelopment progresses in front of Tokyo Station "TOKYO TORCH" The temporary use plaza "TOKYO TORCH PARK” (see map above) features simply designed plants, movable furniture, colorful art, and play equipment.

Temporary means "changing." It's good to try various things there. An example of vacant land utilization that I found interesting is the Galleria at Futako Tamagawa Rise. On some days, it has a kids' space, and on other days, it is an exhibition space for new products by companies. The flexibility to meet needs is suitable for the current era. Over the past five years, the way ordinary people use public spaces has changed rapidly, and it feels like they are getting used to it. Rather than creating something "for XX," it is valuable to have room in the city for a testing ground where anything can be done.

There aren't many places like TOKYO TORCH PARK in the Otemachi-Yurakucho area.

It's certainly a rare vacant lot in the city center. Information and trends are transmitted very quickly, and in today's world where things change in short cycles, people get bored easily and are always looking for the next thing. I think it's effective to take advantage of this characteristic of society and experiment with temporary structures to create things that are "always different from before" and "never seen before." It also seems like the speed of production is becoming faster strategically.

Let's think about each color. There is a large "Akabeko" object here, and from this, we can see that there is a reason for using that color there, and that it creates an attachment. The brownish red color is a collaboration color with "Tokiwabashi Tower."​

Akabeko are originally a vivid red color. The origin of the word red is "bright." It is an auspicious color used for prayers. In modern times, colors with such meanings are becoming less common, but we want to cherish the meanings of colors.

Are there any scenes in the town where historic colors are used effectively?

Traditional colors are actually very difficult to choose, and even if you are told that "this is a traditional color," it may seem abrupt in relation to the surrounding colors. On the other hand, for example, the ginkgo tree on the University of Tokyo campus is not a historical cultural asset, but its striking yellow color creates a familiar scene for many people. It is not a color that is advertised, but a color that has become familiar with the place. The sight of various people, from young children to the elderly and foreigners, enjoying the ginkgo tree is impressive, even though it may not yet be called traditional in terms of history.

When proposing a design, a dramatic story is required, and the explanation that "the color blends in with the surroundings" is often not convincing to those involved.

Depending on the location, there may be a situation where a bright red building is required. In other words, the important thing here is that the color proposal is not about the merits or demerits of the color alone. It is necessary to seek understanding through a presentation that explains, "This color plan is good in combination with this area and this location."

Certainly, simply talking about what color is best seems like a matter of personal preference.

At the same time, even when the design has progressed to a certain extent and the shape has been decided, there is always the possibility of "using color." Even if the scale or shape of the building stands out a little from its surroundings, it should be possible to use color to create a creative design, such as slightly changing the color of each part or segmenting large surfaces.

However, business operators and designers cannot help but consider how to differentiate their project from others, so there may be some aspects of "blending in with the surroundings" that are difficult to accept. When I take the administrative position, I try to advise and guide them from the perspective of "not just aiming for 1,000 points as a project, but also whether it will raise the average score for the local landscape."

Mitsubishi Estate Group is working on urban development in the Otemachi-Yu area, but how is color perceived in areas such as Shibuya, where developers are also deeply involved?

Shibuya is actually a place where a great deal of careful coordination has been carried out. It may seem like a collection of buildings designed by star architects, but the concept of an "urban core" is a thorough idea of smoothing movement between above and below ground. By visualizing this, I think we have been able to see the topography of Shibuya and the structure of the city that was previously invisible.

Shibuya has a lot of digital signage, which I feel makes use of the "urban core" structure, but I hope to see content that is unique to Shibuya here as well.