Atelier Bow-Wow: architectural pragmatism

5 Mar 2007 Category: Architecture, Features, Japan

Atelier Bow-Wow: architectural pragmatism

White Limousine YATAI from Atelier Bow-Wow: popular Japanese open-air restaurant wagons taken to a different level... An experiment of gathering space in the city by introducing small mobile structures, like big furniture, to create an own 'Micro Public Space'.

Founded 15 years ago, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto’s and Momoyo Kaijima’s architectural office Atelier Bow-Wow coined the term of Pet Architecture with utmost pragmatism: in a guidebook they showed buildings that examine the borders of how much you can make out of all those narrow spaces in Tokyo in a very playful way. Tsukamoto and Kaijima drew several concepts form their sharp observations, such as their detailed analysis of Hybrid Space, meaning space used for multiple functions. Besides their teaching at various international labs, they are known for their fun approach of their architectural experiments, such as the Furnicycle - a genetic fusion of a bicycle with street furniture which came to life in the streets of Shanghai…


Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto from Atelier Bow-Wow. Photo by Atelier Bow-Wow.

Moreover, today is the opening of Atelier Bow-Wow’s exhibition “Practice of lively space – detached house and micro public space” at Gallery MA in Tokyo (details below). So PingMag talked with Yoshiharu Tsukamoto about his “spatial practice” in their work and their ‘living house’ in Yotsuya, Tokyo.

Written by Verena

Tsukamoto has just been to the dentist this morning and feels a bit numb from all those pain killers - but nevertheless enjoys chatting about the theories himself and partner Kaijma are into…

Would you please explain the theme of your exhibition: practice of lively space?

The practice of space is a concept from Henri Levèbvre from his book The Production of Space. He looks at the production of space in societies and states that there is a natural opposition between the position of the users’ space of representation and the actual representation of space. The space of representation means a space that is planned or designed by someone. Whereas the representation of space means a space that is inhabited and its quality depending on the people living in that space.

According to Levèbvre, the history of architectural master planning in the 20th century is based on this opposition and will never be solved. That’s why he proposes a third position: to look at the whole production of space - the practice of space. For him, all three positions are necessary for spatial production.

Alteier Bow-Wow’s studies on “Hybrid Space”, like this supermarket in Tokyo with a multiple purpose - a driving school on the roof. Photo by Atelier Bow-Wow.

Scheme displaying the layers of various usages, such as a supermarket with a driving school on top.

Okay, just to get this straight: you are talking of three positions in the architectural field, right?! The first one is the planning part: constructing a space and imposing a certain meaning to this space. For example coming up with some kind of definition of what a house is intended for. The space of representation ends when the architect hands the production over to the users (e.g. the new inhabitants) which leads to the second position: how people actually use the space. What’s the position of the third one again?

The third one - the practice of space is to observe both positions - the planning and the actual final use of space to create a kind of feedback between them.

How do you use these theories for your architectural designs?

We try to incorporate the clients’ previous life, the experiences and memories they had before moving into the future program of the new building. So, we research about the architectural experiences the clients had before: how they constructed their life-style, how they developed their own characteristics by combining occupation with hobbies and their living place. That’s why we have lots of discussions with our clients and visit their homes before.


How to build a house in a space when there is none left? Architectural sketch of a building for a real estate agent in Aoyama, Tokyo.

The finished product! Photos by Atelier Bow-Wow.

If clients approach you, they probably have a certain intention of what kind of house they want to live in. How do you react to that?

We usually try to create a scenario. But the other day for example, a guy called me and said that he wanted to open a poetry reading café in Chichibu, a mountain area of Tokyo. He got fired because of his side business - poetry - and therefore decided to go back to his hometown and continue to work in his father’s bookshop. In this case we already had a very strong scenario: he had this image of a poetry reading café in his mind.

Our role now is to interpret this problem into spatial issues within a certain budget.

Do you have a concept in mind already?

No, as I haven’t visited his place yet. But so far I just reacted to that in a dialogue: he told me that the old bookshop is located at a corner, so it has two façades, each one with a glass window facing the street. Also the corner is interloped with an electrical pole and strange looking small monuments serving as tourist information. This doesn’t make it easy to create a corner façade. Therefore I proposed two different façades on one building: one as a bookshop façade, the other one being the café. You would have two different views from the outside, but inside they would be connected.

Tsukamoto says about his ‘Furnicycle’: “Furniture and cycle are inducted from our observations in Shanghai. We found a very interesting connection between this life-style and those two objects. Because this life-style shows the old China with a modernized society under socialism, but at the same time under a socialist capitalism.” Then Atelier Bow-Wow introduced the ‘Furnicycle’ back to Shanghai’s inhabitants and watched the results…. Still by Atelier Bow-Wow.

Another case was a family with 3 children and both parents being writers. Since mother and father were working they didn’t have a lot of time for the household and hoped that the children would take care of themselves. So our idea was that a special spatial organisation could invite them to work in the house quite smoothly. Meaning, if the process of working was playful, the children could enjoy stuff like making breakfast, cleaning, or doing the laundry, folding cloths afterwards etc.

For example space could be organized in a way that once you took a bath and took off your clothes, you could put them into the laundry right away and on your way out you could pass the balcony where you could then hang out the clothes for drying…

We also started to think about how to create a specific atmosphere by using their goods, like their books and documents… Since both parents work from home we also came up with the idea to turn the entrance of the house into a bookshop, or a library, or an office that could be open to the public…

A private home open to the public?

Yes, that is one very important concept we are always working on! During the modernisation, the Japanese houses became closed and only open to the families due to the separation of the living and workspace. Today it’s very bizarre when you walk through newly developed residential areas: the houses have gardens and balconies – but there’s no life outside which makes the residential area very limited for activities. There’s not enough redundancy.

Pragmatic use of the space left: Atelier Bow-Wow’s work and living space clenched in between living homes in Yotsyua. Tsukamoto: “This building has become a 24-hours-building as there is always someone there, at any time.” Photo by Atelier Bow-Wow.

Personal public space… interesting! I always have the feeling that in Tokyo all space is already used and yet you still manage to squeeze something else in… Could you tell us more about your concept of your exhibition “Micro Public Space” then, which deals with creating new spaces within the existing public space?

Space is precious here and often tiny, but at the same time people believe they don’t have the right to utilize the space. They wouldn’t eat on the street, for example. You don’t see many children playing on the streets either because “it is meant for public”. In this sense “public” means “administrative public”.


Architectural model at the Atelier Bow-Wow workspace.

The upper floors are Tsukamoto’s and Kaijima’s living area.

What about the phenomena of personal public ashtrays - tin cans attached to lamp posts or fences I’ve seen around in Tokyo?

Perfect example! This is a form of Micro Public Space with a sense to maintain the place by individuals – a very good Japanese sense. Individuals put the ashtrays there, so that people don’t dump their cigarette buds on the streets. These ashtrays are public, to be used for everyone, but individuals take care of them.

People clean up the street in front of their house because the community watches them. It’s based on an imaginative public observing you. A practice such as installing public ashtrays is based on a sense of shame. Shame in that sense that you wouldn’t want to be seen throwing your cigarette on the floor, so you better do something about it, so that neither you or others need to behave in such ’shameful’ way.

A simple as well as sophisticated concept: in the office the levels of privacy increase by the floors - basement, first and second floors are the workspaces, on the upper floors are first the kitchen, then the highest floors are the private rooms of Tsukamoto and Kaijima. Photo by Atelier Bow-Wow.

Wow! Amazing. That example truly explains Micro Public Space: taking even the tiniest space that is officially “public” but adding a personal layer to it and making use of this space. I also noticed housewives planting flowers in the little bit of green under street lamps or around trees planted on the side of the road…

On a scale the Micro Public Space is literally small, but at the same time the sense of public is in every individual and extends that space enourmously. Our term and the exhibition Micro Public Space serves as an evocation of transformability, mutability, variety and diversity of public space.

Thank you so much for your time, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto! I’d love to pick your brain a little more about the peculiarities of the usage of Tokyo’s tiny spaces but I guess you should take a break after that dentist appointment… See you at the exhibition!

Reminder:

Atelier Bow-Wow’s exhibition “Practice of lively space – detached house and micro public space” at Gallery MA in Tokyo from March 8th until June 15th 2007. Address: TOTO Nogizaka Bldg. 3F, 1-24-3 Minami-Aoyama. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 6pm, Fridays until 7pm.

60 Comments

  1. architectural pragmatism

    Posted by: x-noise on March 6th, 2007 at 12:15 am

  2. Anyone else think “Atelier Bow-Wow” is the coolest name for an architectural firm ever?

    Great article… thanks!

    Posted by: Maki on March 6th, 2007 at 1:22 am

  3. great interview! it reminds me of why bow-wow is my favorite japanese architecture firm

    Posted by: denver on March 6th, 2007 at 1:29 am

  4. ‘micro public space’ - a fantastic subject handled by such masters of space!
    wonderfull article - i wish i was in tokyo so i could see it!!!!!

    COME TO LONDON BOW-WOW!!!! we love you (^_^)

    Posted by: digs86 on March 6th, 2007 at 3:41 am

  5. They produced a book “Made in Tokyo”, which is a fantastic “tour book” of this kind of architecture in Tokyo. really great stuff. I’m definitely checking out the new show!

    Posted by: Josh on March 6th, 2007 at 10:52 am

  6. [...] Nice micro interview by PingMag here. [...]

    Posted by: Bio: Occasional Daily Writing ... Blog Archive ... Move Me. on March 6th, 2007 at 1:21 pm

  7. There’s a Made in Tokyo website too - very old now, but it still works mostly.

    Posted by: tom on March 6th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

  8. [...] 而pingmag最今采访了日本的建筑设计公司Atelier Bow-Wow，他们也正在举办一个展览“Practice of lively space – detached house and micro public space”，pingmag的文章标题为Atelier Bow-Wow实用主义建筑学，Atelier Bow-Wow在15年前他们创造了一个词语-宠物建筑学，在他们的指导手册中，展示出那些探索性的建筑，即怎样把那些东京的狭小空间用有趣的方式表达出来。那么什么是宠物建筑，它们的解释：作为人们的动物伴侣的宠物往往是小的，有趣可爱的，迷人的。那么带有这些宠物特性的建筑就是宠物建筑，它们存在于东京最不起眼的地方，比如这些地方，密集建筑间那只有一米宽的空间，小且细分的土地，或者夹在公路和铁路之间那狭长的石块路。这些城市发展的副产品在东京大量的产生着，这些不明确的空间在不同的城市系统间生成，也来自于城市系统本身的边界。它们很小，但是它们出现了，第一眼看到它们，由于它们和周围的距离和疏冷，它们身上就有宠物文化的那种特性，它们小，有趣可爱，以自己的方式迷人着。 [...]

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  11. [...] Mike M. wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptFounded 15 years ago, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto’s and Momoyo Kaijima’s architectural office Atelier Bow-Wow coined the term of Pet Architecture with utmost pragmatism: in a guidebook they showed buildings that examine the borders of how much … [...]

    Posted by: wow » Atelier Bow-Wow: architectural pragmatism on April 3rd, 2007 at 2:59 am

  12. That driving school looks quite nice. Beauty of it increases as it is on top of building

    Posted by: Indian Wedding on May 24th, 2007 at 2:49 am

  13. Great!.. time ago, i ‘read’ those books, made in tokyo and pet architecture.. and they seemed to me just great.
    Nice to know people is starting to react.. and to take control of the streets..and the cities..
    keep on that!..
    and keep on showing here things and ideas as those.. !!
    (i really like this space)

    Posted by: Bi. on June 6th, 2007 at 9:31 am

  14. [...] fait un petit moment que je connais ce petit livre de Junzo Kuroda, Momoyo Kaijimaet Yoshiharu Tsukamoto de l’atelier d’architecture Bow Wow. Je l’ai souvent [...]

    Posted by: Made In Tokyo » メイドイントーキョー on June 25th, 2007 at 11:39 pm

  15. hey I love the furnicycle concept, great mix bow wow !

    Posted by: future designs on September 14th, 2007 at 12:21 am

  16. [...] BOW WOW Publié le mars 31, 2008 par lequatorzieme Article sur les mini maisons des architectes BOW WOW  [...]

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