Sendai Mediatheque, designed by Toyo Ito

Exterior of the Sendai Mediatheque

Architecture, I have the feeling, is largely a mystery to a lot of people—at the very least, it is to me. People mostly connect to architecture through the physical buildings, once they are completed, but don't have as much familiarity with the history of or the conceptual/design aspect of architecture. Japanese architecture is no exception, as the term is likely to be most associated with the traditional design of Japanese buildings, before the Meiji restoration. However, in the late 19th century, Japan experienced its first period of westernization, and along with this came the western tradition of architecture. At first, many western architects designed building in Japan. But in 1877 the University of Tokyo was established with its own school of engineering and architectural program, and by the early 20th century Japan was producing architects who would design a modernized Japan. Indeed, there is a large body of history here, but it will have to wait. Instead, we'll skip ahead to the year 2000, marking the completion of the Sendai Mediatheque, designed by Toyo Ito (伊東 豊雄).

A schematic diagram of the structure.

Ito graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1965, and after his graduation worked with metabolist architect Kiyonori Kikutake—metabolism was itself an influential movement in Japanese architecture associated with Kenzo Tange and Fumihiko Maki. Ito is, however, not associated with metabolism, but rather with conceptual architecture, in which he attempts to unify concepts from the real, material world and the virtual world. Ito did not come into prominence until the mid 1980s, during the height of Japan's economic boom, when he designed such buildings as Silver Hut in 1984 and Yokohama's Tower of Winds in 1986. During these years, he would work with both  Kazuyo Seijima and Ryue Nishizawa, both influential architects in their own right, which places him very much in the center of post-occupation Japanese architecture. Ito continues to design buildings, and was recently named the 2013 winner of the Pritzker Prize, considered by some as the "Nobel Prize of Architecture" for his lifetime of contributions to the field.

The stairs of the building ascend through the tube.

A central theme in the design of the building are its 13 supporting tubes. Ito describes himself as a "neo-tubist," a term playing off the cubist movement, as it places emphasis on cylindrical structures as natural and allowing for the flow of people, water, light, etc. The building truly takes this to heart in every aspect of its design. First, the tubes provide the primary mechanical support for each level, rather than relying on a post-and-beam system as seen in other buildings. However, the (larger) tubes also provide transportation inside the building, housing stair cases and elevators. The tubes are integrated into the buildings air-conditioning system, allowing airflow between levels, and are even designed to allow light to filter down through the building.

Interior shot of the building.

As structurally innovating as the building is, the function of the Sendai Mediatheque is also meant to innovate on the traditional concept of a library, which have the sole function of housing a collection of books. Each floor of the mediatheque is dedicated to a different purpose, which includes a library for new forms of media (at least new in 2000), as well as providing spaces for citizens to hold public exhibitions, as well as a second gallery space for exhibitions sponsored by the library. Bringing all of these forms of media together is an aspect of Ito's conceptual architecture. In an interview, he said:

Architecture in [the] electronic age is [a] figuration of [the] vortex of information from the primitive age. The human body has been linked with nature as a member in which water and air circulate. People today are equipped with an electronic body in which information circulates, and are thus linked to the world through network of information by means of this other body. This virtual body of electron flow is drastically changing the mode of communication in family and community, while the primitive body in which water and air flow still craves for beautiful light and wind. The biggest challenge for us is how we can integrate these two types of body.

A short documentary was made about the building, including more information on it's construction and function, along with commentary by Ito himself.

A book on the Sendai Mediatheque was published in 2002, and Ito released a book on his broader works in 2009, for those interested.

読んで、ありがとう 。