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 is actually an old tiled building. The standard procedure is to remove the old facade tiles and install external insulation, but there was a voice within the department saying, "We want to keep the tiles," so we went for internal insulation. Since we couldn't spend too much money, we used high-quality, usable materials such as the on-site finished terrazzo and staircase handrails, and removed the ceiling materials in the drafting room and other areas to expose the building, making it a learning material for students. It's important to find the good parts and make use of them.

In addition, the former Inoshikakura 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 Inoshikakura 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: I call preservation and revitalization, which deliberately leaves old things as they are, "Before-Before," rather than "Before-After," as is commonly done with Renovation. The more I learn about old buildings, the more I appreciate the amazing design techniques. That's why I coined the term. I think the idea of "preservation and revitalization" is effective not only for the restoration of old architecture, but also for new construction.

Article 9 of the Venice Charter states that in the preservation and restoration of architecture, restoration based on speculation and designs that lie about the fact that something was there before are prohibited. In this respect, the DN Tower 21 (1995) in Yurakucho, which has been selected as a historical building in Tokyo, is questionable. The project was to preserve and restore the L-shaped Daiichi Seimei Building and the rectangular Norinchukin Bank Yurakucho Building that was built to fit into the recess of the building, while redeveloping it into a single block. However, an American architect dismantled and moved facade of the Norinchukin Bank Yurakucho Building and combined it with the Daiichi Seimei Building to create a single building. Moreover, the inside is completely new. This is often taken up as a topic in university classes, and when I discussed it with law students at a certain university, many of them concluded that "this violates the Venice Charter." Designing for preservation and restoration is very difficult, and requires a deep understanding of the surrounding environment and historical background at the time of construction, the design intent, and what materials were originally used. Renovation should not become destruction, as the British architect James Wyatt (1746-1813), known as "the Destroyer," did.

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 will soon be retiring, so after that, I would like to be involved in the town development of Kaseda, where I live now. I feel that town development can only be achieved if you live in the area for a long time. While there is a charm unique to historical areas, it is not easy to get there. In fact, my father's childhood home is in Kaseda, and when it was decided to demolish it, I applied for the Housing and Town Development Project (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) that JIA was looking for, and was selected, which led to me teaching at Kagoshima University. That was also because I joined JIA at the recommendation of my boss when I was at Mitsubishi Jisho Design, and you never know what will lead to something. I would like to take the time to gain trust and get to know the area, and be 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. (currently 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 his position, he has been teaching Architectural Design, working on the preservation and restoration of modern architecture, regional revitalization, and the utilization of regional assets, as well as engaging in exchanges with the University of Florence. He also serves as the chief of the JIA Excellent Architecture Selection Task Force, the executive director of the JIA Kyushu Branch Kagoshima Regional Chapter, a member of ICOMOS 20th Century Heritage-NSC20C, a vice representative of DOCOMOMO Japan, and a member of the Workplace Subcommittee of the Architectural Institute of Japan.

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