toyo ito: deichman library

the new deichman main library competition in oslo, norway, by toyo ito, 2008-2009 image © kuramochi and oguma courtesy the national museum of modern art, tokyo

where is architecture? seven installations by japanese architects the national museum of modern art, tokyo april 29 – august 8, 2010

the spatial structure that toyo ito proposed for the new deichmann main library competition in oslo, norway in 2009 is a dynamic work that makes use of three types of polyhedrons to fill and develop the entire space. ito’s installation in this exhibition will make use of this system. and with a ‘wandering’ display of the architect’s recent projects, such as za-koenji, the taichung metropolitan opera house, and the UC berkeley art museum and pacific film archive, the act of viewing is sure to take on a whole new air.

close-up on the library crystalized out of modules, a project by toyo ito image © kuramochi and oguma courtesy the national museum of modern art, tokyo

early models for the new deichman main library competition in oslo, norway, by toyo ito studio

a library city the goal of this entry was to create a library city instead of a city library. this is done by an intermingling of spaces made possible by employing a structure of hexagrams added in all directions, with only three basic modules and constructive elements of only two different lengths; 4,4 and 8,8 metres. no corners are at right angles, no walls are perpendicular, and the library and other functions can grow or shrink with ease inside this ‘organism’. the construction allows for access along the streets at many points. the inside is intended to provide a crossroads of ‘paths’ to the multitude of activities. library activities and other functions intertwine to create venues of different thematic character and qualities within a single complex.

more info on the deichman library competition

‘where is architecture’

this exhibition consists entirely of new installations by seven groups of japanese architects, representing a variety of ages and styles.

to create ‘architecture’, the studios are expected to deal with a variety of conditions. this requires a way of thinking that deftly balances logic, technique, and aesthetics. one might also argue that this profound sense of balance is what has led to the international recognition of japanese architecture.

in trying to determine the special characteristics of ‘architecture’, examining where and in what form it arises seems more viable than simply addressing the question, ‘what is architecture?’

included in this wide-ranging group of installations, is a space created out of three types of polyhedrons, a place where a ‘space’ is ‘born and dies’, a summer house that resembles an animal, a video space that presents a day in the life of an architectural model, a fragile structure, and a field with a fantastic sense of scale.