maison owl PROLOGUE

There is an old residence in Kudanshita, which was built in 1927 (the second year of the Showa Period) by Mankichi Yamaguchi, a prosperous businessman. Architects including Tachu Naito, who designed the Tokyo Tower, were involved in its construction. In the old, but beautiful garden of the residence, I built a canopy that gently keep us out of from the sunlight, which will only be present this summer.

九段下に昭和２年、実業家の山口萬吉によって建てられた古い邸宅がある。
設計には東京タワーの構造計画をおこなった内藤多仲も関わっている。
この邸宅の美しく古い庭に２０２１の夏期限定で、日差しを柔らかく遮る日除けを計画する。

In order for the newly built canopy to blend in with the historical scenery, I thought from the beginning to giving it an aged look. Specifically, I intended to fill the garden with wooden pillars and roofs, which have been burnt using the Yakisugi technique (traditional Japanese method of wood preservation by slightly charring the surface of cedar wood). By adjusting the fire heat, the surface of the cedar wood is charred, and parts of the wooden structure are burnt. The wooden structure that extends widely across the garden is carbonized into flexible shapes, in order to be placed around the existing old trees growing thickly in the garden. The charred jet black wooden structure has a similar appearance to an abandoned house too. It looks as if it transformed from a new building to a ruined house, and underwent the transition of a building due to ageing in an instant.

新しく計画される日除けが、歴史ある風景に溶け込むように、新築であるにも関わらず、はじめから古さを含み持つようにと考えた。具体的には、木造の柱と屋根を庭いっぱいに計画し、その構造体を焼き杉の技術を用いて焼いていく。様々に火力を調整しながら、杉の表面を炭化させ、場所によっては構造体そのものを焼き切る。庭に広がる木の構造体が、既存の庭に生い茂る老木を避けるように、焼かれながらしなやかに形状が整えられていく。炎で炭化した真っ黒の構造体は、廃墟のような趣もある。

The black wooden structure covers and hides the surrounding skyscrapers that did not exist in the early Showa period, and the countless rays of light flowing through the holes of the structure blends with the sunshine throughout the leaves. As the modern scenery is revealed through the trees disappearing, and the strong sunshine of the summer softens, the visitors share the same ancient time that flows within the garden. The jet black structure is the cool shadow that floats in between the old trees on a summer evening.

Junya Ishigami

新築から廃墟の状態に、瞬時に駆け抜け変化したようでもあり、建築が経年によって得られる移り変わりを一気に獲得したかのようだ。昭和初期の時代にはまだ存在していなかった周りの高層建築を黒い構造体が覆い隠し、構造体に開けられた無数の穴からの無数の光の粒が、樹木からの木漏れ日と混ざり合う。樹木の間から覗く現代の風景は消え去り、夏の強い日差しは和らぎ、訪れる人々はこの庭のなかに流れる古い時間とともに過ごす。真っ黒の構造体は、夏の午後に老木の間を漂う涼し気な影である。

石上 純也