Takasaki Masaharu: An Architecture of Cosmology

Princeton Architectural Press

ISBN 10: 156898121X / ISBN 13: 9781568981215

Published by Princeton Architectural Press, 1998

About this Item

First edition, first printing. A fine softcover copy. See my photos of the book you will receive, not stock photos. More available upon request. This book is in my possession and will be packed in bubble wrap and shipped in a cardboard box. #146. Seller Inventory # 007873

Bibliographic Details

Title: Takasaki Masaharu: An Architecture of ...

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press

Publication Date: 1998

Binding: Soft cover

Condition: Fine

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

The work of Tokyo-based architect Takasaki Masaharu, one of the most exciting and original architects working today, has captivated those interested in individual and animated design. Although his work is not widely known outside his own country, for twenty years he has been creating unusual structures throughout Japan. He recently received an award from the Japan Institute of Architects as the most outstanding young architect in the country.

Takasaki's designs combine the organic and the mythological. He describes his architecture as an "environmental being" that connects humanity with the cosmos. These philosophies manifest themselves in his use of egg-shaped forms, diffused light to create mystical interiors, and skewed columns and planes.

The eight projects explored in this monograph include Crystal Light in Tokyo, Tamana City Observatory Museum in Kumamoto, Earth Architecture in Tokyo, and Kihoku-cho Astronomical Museum in Kagoshima. Each building is thoroughly described through text, photographs, and drawings. Also included is an illustrated list of the architect's projects and a critical text by Botond Bognar, author of "The Japan Guide".

Review:

Experiencing the magical world of Takasaki's architecture evokes the awe that one feels when looking at images taken by the Hubbell Telescope...it is the experience of coming face to face with the infinity and timelessness of the cosmos, the inexplicable and the unexplainable, that is, the dimensions of the unknown and the unknowable. Botond Bognar, from his introduction to Takasaki Masaharu: An Architecture of Cosmology

Above all, Takasaki's buildings are orchestrated by a gutsy exuberance that celebrates humanity in all its messy complexity and diversity .... In the reductivist world of mass housing [his work] stands as an illuuminating example of the fecund, transforming power of architecural imagination. Phoebe Chow, Architectural Digest