Japanese Architecture In The 20th Century

16 Pages 3948 Words

essors like Kenzo Tange, Hiroshi Hara, Fumihiko Maki, and Yoshinobu Ashihara. They may have been loyal to Japan's Modernist orthodoxy, Viray says, but their work was still compelling. In the last few years, they all reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. "I don't think I should name names," he continues, "but the career professors who were in line to succeed them are not as powerful." The leaders of Todai recognized the need for something — or someone — new, and in Tokyo today, Findlay, along with her husband, is as fresh and unexpected as it gets. Of course, they may not be prepared for what they'll get. "She has less limited thinking than the Japanese staff," says Shogo Kishida, the architecture professor who first suggested hiring Findlay. "Most Japanese architects tend to regard homogeneity as important. This is even true of the younger generation. Ushida and Findlay are not bothered by being different."As a foreigner, Findlay would always have been an outsider in the Japanese architecture world, but Ushida was perfectly positioned...