T A D A O A N D O

It is said of his architecture that it creates a ‘haiku’ effect emphasising the emptiness to be representative of simplicity.  Said simplicity emphasises the concept of sensation and physical appearances mainly influenced by the concept of Zen. 

Inner feeling over outward appearances.

CHURCH OF LIGHT

12,000 sq ft

A large rectangular concrete box, sliced through at a 15 degree by a completely freestanding wall.  Light penetrates the immense darkness through the cut out of a cross on the altar-side wall. Floors and pews have been constructed out of scaffolding wooden planks which are used to match the spartanesque room.  Ando says in response to the design that he has always used only natural materials that come into contact with an individuals hands and feet. These natural materials have substance and are invaluable as, through our senses we become aware of architecture

There are limited light sources, this intensifies the light beaming from the cross cut out.  The inverse shadow imposed on to the floor, moves with the progression of the sun.  Expressing the purity of mans spiritual nature with nature.

W A B I - S A B I

Represents a comprehensive worldview or aesthetic centred on the acceptance of transience and acceptance.

Imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.

Emptiness and absence of self-nature

Asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, austerity, intimacy.

Ingenuous integrity of natural objects of processes. 

Etymology; ‘Wabi’- Seen in texts from as early as the fourteenth century, inferring the loneliness of living in nature, remote from society.  ‘Sabi’ meaning ‘chill’, lean or withered.  In current uses, the combination of both words has seen a shift towards more positive and warmer connotations.

Understanding emptiness and imperfection was honoured as the first step the achieving satori (enlightenment in the Zen sect of Buddhism).

‘Wisdom in natural simplicity’

From the Mahayna Buddhism view of the universe, liberation from the material world leads to transcendence to a simpler life.

‘Genuine understanding cannot be achieved through words or language, so non-verbal acceptance is key.’  It has been noted that to study it is to live life through the senses and better engage with life as it happens, rather than getting caught upon thoughts.

C H A S H I T S U

C H A S H I T S U

The Japanese teahouse used exclusively for Chanoyu- tea ceremony. 

The poetic and aesthetically inclined style of tea ceremony referred to as ‘wabi-cha’ is thought to have originated in the Muromachi period (1336-1573).  It was soon after during the Sengoku period that teahouses began to appear.   During this, the social climate was highly unstable; the government had very little effective power. Samurai sought to stabilise the country and promote prosperity.  Zen Buddhism was a common practice among the upper echelons of society. It’s followers sought salvation in the afterlife. Daimyo-feudal leaders, Samurai and Zen monks were primarily responsible for building teahouses.  They sought simplicity and tranquillity, central tennets of Zen Buddhism.  The acknowledgement of simplicity and plainness are considered to be central motivation of a teahouse.  Outside of a structure, lies a small basin for guests to cleanse themselves.  

There is no door but a ‘nijiriguchi’ –crawling in entrance, which requires one to crawl through.  This symbolically represents a separation from the outside world, that is convoluted and complex. 

The room has no furniture.  Windows are small and are covered with shoji- a screen, which allows for natural light to filter in but prevents a distracting view of the outside world. The only decorations present may be a small flower arrangement and and decorative brush-painted scroll that pertains to the specific day. 

‘The Tea ceremony is nothing more than boiling water, making tea  and drinking it’

Sen no Rikyū- first master of tea 1522-1591

A N D  A T  T H E  C R U X, 

The calm atmosphere and regulated process can lead to the phenomenon of ‘flow’ which has been studied in connection with activities such as dancing, climbing and computer games, although markedly differing activities, they share the same possibility to lose an awareness of surroundings and self perception.  This is directly linked with the Zen ideal of Satori, dissolving the boundaries of yourself and your boundaries to achieve unity with the universe.

fancy a cuppa ?

D R I N K I N G  T E A

-       A place to brew

-       Comfort, what is that anyway? Psychological freedom, physical freedom.

-       Somewhere to facilitate thought

-       A hard surface

-       Light to see

-       The leaf which is to be steeped

-       Waste disposal

-       Hands

-       Utensils

Will the person be enveloped by the ritual of tea that it possibly is to them.  Tea is a universal drink that has a holding in many cultures that manifests itself in various forms.

Below is an excerpt of the Wikipedia article on tea culture, focusing on the British Isles. 

two meetings, slightly deeper

R E S I D E N T I A L- a living room

The living room, also referred to as the lounge is the space in a dwelling which is designated for no practical purpose other than ‘being at home’.  The space must facilitate this to be functional, this is defined by psychological comfort, and physical comfort may come as a result. Soft furnishings are surplus to the function of the room but in the homes of the middle class and particularly the West are a given.  Some people prefer to slouch on a sofa, some feel comfortable crossing their legs.  The place of a television could be seen as a contentious issue.  A piano may take its place. The living room is shaped by those who occupy it.  Like a bedroom, it is blank in the sense it has no fixtures.  The interaction between someone and their living room is relative to that person.

R E T A I L  S P A C E- a coffee shop

The function of such a space is to facilitate the purchase of a product and in the case perhaps 60% of the time the consumption of it.  A well defined counter/bench is the space that defines the boundary between the buyer and seller. In this case the bench also serves as a work space.  The form of this space is cuboid.  The work bench is the length of it, with a small break to allow for passage behind. Several small tables run parallel to the bench. A sense of balance is achieved and those who are sitting have a visually open relationship with those who are making/selling. The aesthetics of the space also match the values of the product.  The customer has an all-encompassing experience.  The sight, sound of the chosen music that is playing, smell,  touch is appealed to by the equipment used to serve, the quality of mug as your lips touch when drinking from it. 

Differing meetings, a shallow look

D I F F E R E N T  M E E T I N G S

The things that facilitate them

V O T I N G

-       The booth/cubicle

-       People attracted by political motivation/civic duty

-       These people must be informed of the time and place

-       Privacy within large space, to make the individual trust the democratic system that they are utilising.  This place is always somewhere communal, local school or town hall.

A  J O U R N E Y

To get away/ To go to

These can be exclusive of each other

-       For the acquisition of knowledge

-       For money or lack of money

-       Aspirations vs. disappointment

-       Routine vs. serendipitous

-       The daily commute

-       An extravagant excursion

-       Being stationary in something that is moving

-       Retaining individual space in a confined and crowded space; train or bus.

Being completely at your whim- using your feet to walk or run.

-       The way ones feet interact with the ground below, foot strike. Landing on heels, or the ball of your foot.  Being aware of the four corners of each foot.  Even weight distribution.

-       The way you carry yourself through the air in front. Moving from the inside to push and not pull.  Using the most powerful muscles.

-       How you your limbs interact with one another, push and pull forces, left side and right side, legs and arms.

-       Are thoughts affected by exertion, achieving perhaps a meditative somewhat.

-       Walking to pass time

-       Bypassing the quickest route for the environment.

-       Slooooow or more quickly.

P E N   T O  P A P E R

-       Pigment

-       Writing surface

-       A hard surface to lean on

-       Thoughts behind the pen to move the pen

-       Light to see the paper

-       An area to feel comfortable enough to do so

T R A N S A C T I O N  O F  G O O D S / S E R VI C E S

-       Buyer and seller

-       A space to differentiate the two

-       Currency

-       Product/service

C E L E B R A T I O N S

-       Regalia appropriate to the specific event

-       Rituals bound by religion, tradition, culture or simply habbit

-       Those who are involved, those who attend

-       Often separate events make up the one celebration. Formal and informal

E D U C A T I O N

-       The teaching and the taught

-       The imposed hierarchy of  that dynamic

-       The physical form of it; one stands while others sit

-       An institution or collective place

D R I N K I N G  T E A

-       A place to brew

-       Comfort, what is that anyway? Psychological freedom, physical freedom.

-       Somewhere to facilitate thought

-       A hard surface

-       Light to see

-       The leaf which is to be steeped

-       Waste disposal

-       Hands

-       Utensils

Will the person be enveloped by the ritual of tea which it possibly is to them.  Tea is a universal drink that has a holding in many cultures that manifests itself in various forms.