3. Concrete and the Azuma House

Bombing of Osaka

Photo from Wikimedia Commons © http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Osaka_after_the_1945_air_raid

Tadao Ando's choice to break from the traditional materials employed in Japanese architecture is probably one of the reasons his work is so universally accepted. His choice to utilise concrete in the majority of his work is perhaps influenced by the world that he grew up in - post-WWII Osaka - a city that had seen much destruction. While much of what was being rebuilt was traditional, some of the new construction was taking cues from modern western architecture, and employing modern building materials such as concrete. Concrete also offered Ando the permanency and longevity that traditional building materials did not. It is perhaps his desire to see his buildings stand the test of time, from both natural and man-made disasters, that 'cemented' his initial exploration with concrete. Ando's architecture is probably best described as a marriage of traditional Japanese architecture, and modern architecture.

Courtyard

Photo from Wikimedia Commons © http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/File:Azuma12

The Row House (Azuma house), as one of Ando's earliest works, I think is probably one of the best examples to use to understand his early development of his architectural language. The Azuma house was built in Osaka in 1976, on a very narrow plot that was surrounded by traditional houses, and was in fact itself replacing a traditional house. Built almost entirely from concrete, this is a great example of Ando's use of contemporary materials with traditional Japanese concepts. Despite the fact that the house is enclosed within the confines of thick concrete walls, the light from the open-air courtyard coupled with the simple geometric planes and rough finish of the concrete, combine in a very meaningful way. The simplicity of the materiality allows ones eye to be drawn to the exposure of the inner courtyard, in such a way that the building exudes rich spatial qualities. These qualities are all focused on creating a space in which the individual has complete privacy, and has their own personal refuge within the city. 

References:

Baek, J, The sublime and the Azuma House by Tadao Ando, arq: Architectural Research Quarterly, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 149-157, 2004.

Bognar, B, Japanese architecture II, St. Martins Press, New York, NY, 1992.

Buntrock, D, Materials and meaning in contemporary Japanese architecture: tradition and today, Routledge, New York, NY, 2010.
Frampton, K & Ando, T, Tadao Ando: buildings, projects, writings, Rizzoli, New York, 1984.

Rao, A. Japanese Architect, Tadao Ando, CNN Talk Asia, 2006 -  viewed 21 September 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruuyudjfUdM>