MoNo is an emerging architecture firm, based in Yokohama (Japan). The area of interest of the owners, Fumiaki Nagashima and Mami Maruoka Nagashima, covers architecture design, urban planning, interior and product design, art of installation, graphics and video.  

An interview with Fumiaki Nagashima + Mami Maruoka Nagashima
by Francesca Bizzarro | leggi l'intervista in italiano

1. What do you think about space (in architecture)? What is it for you?

We think that it's a world influenced by human beings, light and airflow. For us in the role of architect, sometimes it becomes a part of real world as a regular life, and other times a symbol of unreal world as a special time.

2. Is there a difference between designing a building and conceiving an art installation?

Both of them are to have a relationship with place and space. But there are some differences between them. The biggest one is the flow of time. On designing a building, we give it the timeless existence with our long thinking. And on conceiving an installation art, we try to create the moment of beauty in a limited term.

3. Beyond the flattering gadgets produced by archistars, do you believe there are substantial differences between the idea of Architecture in the East (Japan, China,...) and in the West (Europe, USA, ...)?

Many forerunners had talked about this theme. And we also really feel several differences between them through our activities in these two worlds, the East and the West. For example, many western people recognize the Japanese independent sense in our work which we designed with the way of western architecture we studied at university. This first occasion surprised us and let us know the substance of difference between them.

4. What are your references in non-architectural iconography (painting, sculpture)? Do you think you've been inspired by European and American Vanguards?

We get many inspirations from paintings and movies by European and American Vanguards for creating our world. Especially, art work dynamically-described about the space is so exciting for us. But to be more exact, we think there is no border line between architecture work and others art.

5. Can design work as a "collective task", that is to say a task shared among equal partners? Or otherwise does still have a sense to celebrate the lonely genius who produces a general idea, and then puts it in the hands of other people?

We think designing can work as a "collective task", and we are familiar to this work style, because it is necessary in construction process of architecture, our specialized field. About a so complicated project in long term, we believe that a lot of professional knowledge can lead marvellous result. But we know also every collective task is based on every lonely genius. Taking an optimal balance of objects and subjects is one of important parts for designing.

6. What are the difficulties that a young architect has to face in Japan to grow professionally? Does Universities provide appropriate preparation for that purpose?

The biggest difficulty in Japan, and maybe many other countries, is less opportunity of practical construction of architecture in this economic slowdown. Even if Japanese wait a coming of high economic growth again, we easily guess that we never get it. So we think it's the time when the role of architecture has to be changed now. Although we have to discuss for finding it with new visions, we suppose that University don't change the policy of education still now in Japan.

7. From your point of view, which is the world-leading architecture work of the decade? And why?

Some architecture which should be landmark work in architectural field appeared in this decade. For instance, in our living city Yokohama, we think that one of them is "the International Passenger Terminal" in 2002 designed by FOA, Mr. A.Z.Polo and Ms. F. Mossavi. This project made people feel the innovative era of design with new digital method, having a massive column-free space with abundant curved surfaces which no one had seen. But this method didn't dominate the architectural field like postmodern style and deconstruction one. In this century, we need to wait the coming of world-leading one for a while.

8.  Are new technologies helping the development of architecture language, or "de-materializing" it?

From over 200 years ago, new technologies have been improving "de-materializing" of architecture, we think. Actually about Japanese traditional architecture, it is basically so de-materializing with fuzzy border lines between inside space and outside one. But many new technologies help the coexistence of this spirit and the contemporary comfort. The reason why we are interested in architecture design is because it reflects the social conditions with the technology of the era.

9.  The project you're working on now: describe it in three words...

About our new project: installation art "UKIGUMO - floating clouds" in Montpellier France, we can have three key words "light - atmosphere - connection". Light is our important theme for visual designing in the past years, and expression of atmosphere is our most basic mission for designing for always. Furthermore an effective connection of some different identities, for example Japanese and European, is a key for making story of our project.

Photo Gallery

Click Image to Enlarge

hanasaki house

Daylight Spaces/TIA Scholarship Award 2007
© photo MoNo e koshimizu Susumu

 

Light and Atmosphere in the Japanese way
installation art (Austria, 2009)
© photo MoNo e koshimizu Susumu

Between Shadow and Light
installation at the "Festival d'Architectures Vives 2010" (Montpellier, France)
© photo MoNo

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pubblicato in data: 21/05/2010