14 DAY TRIAL // In his new book, “Beyond the Bubble: The New Japanese Architecture” (Phaidon Press), University of Illinois (UI) architecture professor Botond Bognar draws attention to the fact that the US shouldn't turn to the architectural model employed by Japan in the mid-1990s, especially now, in times of economic crisis. He says that, even though it may seem like a good idea to build in the same manner the Asian nation did before it experienced its economic collapse, the realities in Japan at the onset of the downturn were very different, and still are, as opposed to those in America today.
“Much of what happens in Japan has its own particular reasons and, therefore, is not necessarily applicable elsewhere. After the hyperactive bubble years between 1985 and 1995 – with practically unlimited investments in construction and urbanization – Japanese architects and society at large faced radically different realities, and the need to reorganize their priorities,” the UI professor shares.
“Building was much more the result of contemporary economic and political forces than at any time before. It also much related to the GNP insofar as the construction industry contributed around 18 percent to it at that time,” Bognar adds. He also points out that in Japan, at the time, the idea that drove that many constructions was simply that you had to build, regardless of the final product. As evidence of this fact, even the most cutting-edge buildings were demolished just several years to a decade later after they were finished, which was a very short time, indeed.
After the “economic bubble” stopped growing in Japan, but receded (a situation that can now be found in the US as well), buildings started shifting their purpose from daring architectural designs to functionality and sustainability. The only difference between America and the Asian nation is the fact that Japan didn't do it necessarily for saving money in the future. More complex social factors were at work, and they were the main engines behind the shift in architectural and construction practices.
At this point, Japan is employing a “less is more” approach to building its structures. Simple materials and innovative ones as well, all contribute to constructing buildings that are both sustainable and functional. And, Bognar believes, this is the lesson that American companies should learn as soon as possible. Otherwise, a good few years will pass until the mentalities will shift, and the fact that this approach is the right one will become obvious to everyone.