Tokyo Voi d

RMIT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SEMESTER 01, 2010 STUDIO PAMPHLET

studio abs t r a c t
In addition to being the world’s largest most popu-
lated space, Tokyo has one of the world’s highest
urban densities. In Tokyo, the amount of open non-
built up space is 6% of the urban area; in Melbourne
it is around 35%. In Tokyo persons have access to less
than one square meter of open space on average,
peak poplation density ranging to 13.650 persons per
square kilometer. What are some of the consequenc- image
es for (landscape) architectural design?
The personal experience of urban density and the
limitations of space, as well as the observation of
specific strategies of addressing the lack of space are
addressed in the students’ individual reflections of
VOID.
In the tension between dense and void, the studio
explored interventions in small vacant plots of land
as a medium of experience and as generator for de- ONDI Studio Experimentation Site in Tokyo
sign. Students developed, tested and implemented a
culturally sensitive and site-specific design interven-
tion on the ONDI site, a vacant lot in the historically
rich and culturally diverse Yanaka precinct of Tokyo.
The very brief engagement with the intensive and
demanding environment of Tokyo led to understand-
ing of design possibilities, experimental and cultural
limitations, material, documentation, impact and in-
tercultural exchange. image
The work is linked to Tokyo Void, a research project
that is currently undertaken by researchers of The
University of Tokyo, Adelaide and RMIT University.

RMIT Students on Site in Tokyo

image

* This Studio Pamphlet focusses on the Tokyo installa-

tion work, April 2010
RMIT Students at Tokyo University
contents
Akreety Pradhan

Caitrin Daly

Hiroshi Yoshinaga

Jenny Kim

Katerina Krasteva

Kelvin Lui

Li Ting Khoo

Matt Whitehead

Natalia Lesmana

Aryen Per Yuan Liaw

Philip Papas

Simone Ling

Vonne Yang Xiang Jing

Dr. Marieluise Jonas

thanks to: Hiroshi Ota, Heike Rahmann, Kate Church,

Toshiyuki Makizumi, Annie Huang, Taku
Inagaki, Rochus Hinkel, Richard Black,
Rosalea Monacella
inside-out s i d e [ i n ]

image (s)

Akre e t y P r a d h a n , N a t a l i a L e smana
Architecture studio 5, Interior Design Studio 3

The main concept for our intervention was to bring
in a spatial quality into the site. We tried to push the
idea of an interior perspective into an outdoor envi-
ronment using a framed box. The box serves as a rep-
lica of a window on how we look at things in Tokyo.
The strings refers to our first-hand experience
throughout Yanaka and Ginza in particular. The “In-
side-Outside” concept for the intervention is based
on the mappings of the two sites.
In Yanaka, the experience was like a ‘Maze’; we en-
tered into the site from an open space to a more con-
strained and complexed area, where it was difficult to
find our way out. However, in Ginza, the journey was
more about going from the outside to the inside; as
we walked along the wide streets, we discovered hid-
den, narrows laneways.
99 yen ga r d e n

Caitr i n D a l y , K a t e r i n a K r a s t eva
Landscape Architecture studio 3, Architecture Studio 4

Do you feel boxed in? Do you want to get out of the

city? Are your pot plants taking over? Create your own garden or pick from our outstanding
The solution is here! Introducing the 100 Yen Garden. selection of pre-made outdoor scenes
The low cost, zero space solution for your dream gar-
den. Even the smallest of spaces can be utilised to THE CHOICE IS YOURS!
create your personal sanctuary. Anything is possible!
For only 100Yen you can choose your fantasy then Available for purchase now!
change it with your mood or the season. No time to
enjoy the outdoors? 100 Yen Garden functions both
day and night for a good time anytime!
intangible V o i d

+ + + + + +

H i r o s hi Yoshinaga, Vonne Yang Xian g J i n g , L i T i n g K h o o

Landscape Architecture studio 5, Architecture studio 5, Interior Design Studio 3

Conflict of spaces require negotiations, as found in
Yanaka where the cemetery is a public space formed
by a number of individual private spaces, our site,
ONDI where it is a private property but preferred by
the owner to be utilized by the public, or even the
street where a conflict is created when the vehicle
gives priority to the pedestrians who walks on the
road instead of the associated pathway.
Intangible boundaries that exist in between these
conflicts of spaces are then compared to the intan-
gible boundaries of personal spaces of the public
people in Tokyo. Our analysis argued that the amount
of people in the crowd affects intangible voids that
co-exist and the sizes of these voids are then related
back to the amount of people in the crowd.
Our intervention on the ONDI site is a representation
of our studies on different types of intangible spaces
in various location situated in Tokyo.
spa ce is a f l u i d
J e n n y Kim, Aryen Per Yuan Liaw
Architecture studio 4, Landscape Architecture studio 5
Floating spaces between differnt forces
YANAKA
Transformation of atmosphere at Yanaka.
Can feel the hidden force pushing Yanaka away from
the rest of the city, isolating and defining itself.
GINZA
Inside out, outside in.
The FAKE transformation spot in the ginza laneway.
Does not feel fully inside nor outside although it is
obvious to see that it is a part of a building.
It is like a floating space in the middle of nowhere
which rises yourself a question.
CONCEPT OF OUR DESIGN INSTALLATION
‘Space is a Fluid’
it is always floating in between forces like a
Parachute
Y = (G + E x ) + R
K e l v i n Lui, Simone Ling
Landscape Architecture studio 5, Interior Design Studio 3
Emergence of the organism and equation Yanaka was
found to be a heavily built environment. Further re-
search led to the discovery that Yanaka’s houses and
temples by law, are to be torn down and replaced.
This meant a constant shift in void space within
Yanaka where void spaces will temporarily appear
and disappear as according to when buildings are to
be destroyed and renewed. Furthermore, mappings
of site revealed the idea of geomancy governing the
town planning where types of buildings or programs
are grouped together within a district.
Therefore, Yanaka has been likened to an organism
structure. A structure that too germinates, grows,
decay and diminish.
This Yanaka organism is thus represented by
the following equation: Y = (G + Ex ) + R
[Yanaka = (Geomancy+Existing Built Environment to
the power of Local/Micro use od space)+Renewal
cycle]
M a t t Whitehead, Philip Papas
Landscape Architecture studio 3, Architecture studio 5

Our aim was to create a space which acted as a shel-
ter as well as be interactive. We proposed to do this
by putting up string lines across the site and asking
people to bring their umbrellas, hanging them on the
string lines when they arrive at the site.
The concept worked with variying levels of success,
it kept us drier then the tent, but was voilitle when it
came to the wind.

Testing the concept led to realising the unstable na-

ture of the umbrellas with wind so we also looked at
ways to quickly fasten them to the string line.