The tea house is one of Japans most original buildingsa very small, very simple space consisting of tatami mat, tokonoma (the alcove where wall scrolls are hung and flower arrangements placed), ro (the sunken stove where tea is heated) and nijiriguchi (the half door through which guests enter) . For generations, Japanese architects have embraced the challenge of the tea house despite severe formal constraints. Now, this beautiful and fascinating volume takes the traditional tea house and turns it on its head. An ...
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The tea house is one of Japans most original buildingsa very small, very simple space consisting of tatami mat, tokonoma (the alcove where wall scrolls are hung and flower arrangements placed), ro (the sunken stove where tea is heated) and nijiriguchi (the half door through which guests enter) . For generations, Japanese architects have embraced the challenge of the tea house despite severe formal constraints. Now, this beautiful and fascinating volume takes the traditional tea house and turns it on its head. An informative introduction explains the history of the tea ceremony and the tea house. Then, in chapters written by three of the worlds most renowned architects -- Arata Isozaki, Tadao Ando, Terunobu Fujimori as well as a fourth with text by Hiroshi Hara and Kengo Kuma, the book looks at twenty modern tea houses in Japan. Here are five men who share a fascination with exploring architectural space limited to the smallest possible spatial unit -- and the tea house is the perfect medium for satisfying this passion and curiosity. Most of these structures are used solely for the tea ceremony, but a few have become spaces for meditation, or for simply spending quiet time alone, with a drink or a good book. Through insightful text, superb photographs and detailed drawings, T he Contemporary Tea House introduces each architects philosophy and creative concerns, as well as the artistic techniques behind their constructions in materials ranging from wood and titanium to concrete, stone, and paper. The book also offers the specifications of each building, a glossary and profiles of the architects.
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Seller's Description:
New. Size: 12x0x8; 1st Edition. A FINE Hardcover with a FINE dustjacket. AS NEW. All dustjackets wrapped in Archival protection, and delivery confirmation with all our orders!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good. Hardcover. 4to. Published by Kodansha International, Tokyo, Japan. 2007. 136 pgs. Illustrated. First Edition/First Printing. DJ has light shelf-wear present to the DJ extremities. Bound in cloth boards with titles present to the spine and front board. Boards have light shelf-wear present to the extremities. No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. This vibrant, relevant study from architects Ando, Fujimori and Isozaki looks at the present moment of a centuries-old Japanese tradition, the chashitsu, or "tea room." In first-person narratives, leading Japanese architects discuss their contemporary take on the classic tea ceremony space. Full-color photographs, design sketches and polished plans are clearly laid out along with text, and each chapter focuses on a number of works by a single architect. Fujimori's chapter, for example, includes an elaborate tree-top tea house, an "enormous woven bamboo birdcage" called The Forum and a room built especially to host France's President Chirac. Ando gets to the heart of the matter in his statement of purpose: "not to dwell solely on the abstract; but to explore abstract concepts by expressing them through material phenomena." Three more architects-Isozaki, Kengo Kuma and Hiroshi Hara-discuss their designs, and how they relate to the genre's traditions, in similar terms, focusing on the "tension between abstraction and representation." Especially fascinating are discussions of materials used: for Fujimori, the most important components are "raw, unworked materials" and "amateur artisans" to do all the building. Throughout, the houses' elegance and simplicity are reflected in the text; lush images, meanwhile, provide tranquil warmth and a real sense of place. EB; 8vo 8"-9" tall.
