(Photo)Report from the Antonin Raymond journey The most remarkable memories Katerina Frejlachova (2014) The first photo I made and put on Instagram. The view from the balcony of our great comfortable apartment in Nakano The most remarkable experiences of the “Antonin Raymond” trip to Japan 2014 Kateřina Frejlachová (with Martin Špičák and Tadeáš Říha) Japan was no surprise for me, but a country, to which I always like to come back. Although this was not my first time in Japan, this journey has broaden my horizons again a little more. The two weeks were so intensive, that it is not even easy to write a day-by-day report on everything we saw and did. Therefore I’ve decided to write about the most remarkable moments - things that caught me, experiences that characterize and summarize the whole trip. So I have divided the report into these eight chapters: no. 1 Tokyo revisited (back in Japan after 2 years) no. 2 Japanese reunion with Tadeáš (...and Nikola) First of all, I would especially like to thank no. 3 Antonin Raymond Mrs. Takamine, Mr. Tsutchiya and Mrs. Hadravova from Kladno no. 4 ...and more and more architecture for their great willingness and effort, so finally all three could join this fabulous trip (according to the fact, that it didn’t look promising in the beginning). no. 5 The food diary I would also like to thank Rahman, Yoko-san, Miki-san no. 6 Travelling by shinkansen and others from The Raymond office, who did a great job while taking care of us during the two unforgettable weeks. no. 7 Cherry blossoms The whole journey was a great experience! no. 8 The Raymond office and the Farewell party Thank you. no. 2 Japanese reunion with Tadeáš (...and Nikola) no. 1 Tokyo revisited (back in Japan after 2 years) Tadeáš studies a master’s program in Delft, Netherlands. Me and Martin, we therefore see him just a few times a year. This time we met in Tokyo to spent two weeks together studying Raymond, I’ve already visited Tokyo in 2012. I spent great knowing Japan and enjoying our journey, we’ve won. That was really nice! Nikola, another one four months there studying architecture at of our classmates, moved recently to Hong Kong, where he studies and works as well. He doesn’t the Hosei University, travelling around Japan come home frequently because it is quite far, so we see him even more rarely. He heard that we are and meeting nice people. When I was leaving going to be in Tokyo in April. He took advantage of this opportunity and found us there. From all Japan I thought for myself, I won’t be able to over the world we chose Japan to have a reunion :) come back since it is so far from home, quite expensive and I couldn’t imagine the reason for coming back that soon. Nevertheless I hoped to In front of the main entrance to the campus, to the school come back one day.. I didn’t even imagine that I could come back that again in 2014. I already missed the atmos- phere of the city, the nature of Japanese, the food etc. while all my memories were becom- ing more and more hazy... So I was really lucky, when I heard the news, that we were able to go. 1955-58 building which is unfortunately planned to be demolished soon and replaced by a newer one One of the funniest moments of the Tadeáš’s arrival to Tokyo was his famous broken suitcase! On one evening I have decided to visit the Since the suitcase didn’t work and the only way how to move it from place to place was to carry Hosei University campus, where I used to this heavy thing in hand, Mr. Tsutchiya solve this problem readily with the idea of a temporary spend a lot of time. I was really surprised, that “wheelchair” they have demolished the quite recently re- stored courtyard. They are going to build an- other school building there, as I realised later. Meeting with my friends and professors from the Hosei University We haven’t seen each other for two years... This was really very nice and cheerful evening in an Okonomiyaki restaurant in Kagurazaka. Me with my friends and prof. Shimohigoshi Nikola, me, Tadeáš and Martin after the first sushi lunch grinning to the sunshine on the top of the Marunouchi skyskraper (accompanied with Rahman-san, Tsutchiya-san and Yoko-san). no. 3 The architecture of Antonin Raymond Tokyo Women University Antonin Raymond is quite a mysterious personage. If you ask anyone in the Czech republic, usu- ally no one knows exactly who he was and what he has done. He is not very famous even among architects. The first time I have heard about him was when I found out that the student competition took place in Kladno in 2011. Then when I came to Japan, my professor at the design studio was talk- ing about him a lot (he really appreciated his work) and it seemed to me that all the students were familiar with Raymond and his work. I realised back then that he is considered a founder of the modern architecture in Japan and was quite surprised, because, as I said before, he is unfortunate- ly not that renowned in his homeland. We have visited a nice sample of Raymond’s works especially thanks to Mr. Tsutchiya and the staff of the Raymond office. His work comprises different styles from pure modern art deco through functionalism and brutalism concrete structures of the 60s to inimitable fusion of the modern and The frontage still has something in common with the Wright I liked the colour of the window frames, but I am no sure if this architecture... is the original colour the rural Japanese architecture in his wooden houses. It seems to me like he was examining some of the western principles freely, with no need to respond to the European critics. I really like some of his buildings, some of them are not that stunning for us I think, compared to the similar Euro- pean works. Most of all I admire the wooden buildings, where he combines European and Japa- nese traditional carpenter details. Those artworks are modest and comfortable at the same time, contextual but still original and ageless. One could imagine living in such a similar house even nowadays. I also appreciate his ability to accentuate the atmosphere in sacral architecture of the churches, doesn’t matter what material or structure he had chosen. However, I think the most interesting and memorable characteristics of his work is that you can find traces of the European architecture in every building he designed, mixed with the Japanese experiences, resources and local customs. That is really amazing, because I think if you join differ- ent cultural approaches sophisticatedly, something very strong and fresh can develop. I think he must have been a great charismatic and influential personality so that he was able to I really liked the environment of the university. The exact The detail of the stained glass, the abstract rendering of a pine gather the local engineers, builders etc. and convince them to built according to his point of view, concrete paths winding through the wild but well-cared nature twig with a cone. It reminded me of similar F. L. Wright’s ones to fulfil his ideas. The external side of the concrete wall of the chapel covered with The internal side looks even more Gothic - as it was made of the white plaster. The ornamental glazing resembles a Gothic stone. There is a nice play of light going through variously church coloured stained glass Hoshi Pharmaceutical School Gunma Music Center The first Raymond’s independent project, and one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in A huge multifunctional building from the 50s is placed on the site of the original Takasaki castle. It Japan. There are no stairs at all in the main building. The access to the upper floors are the ramps, is remarkably rough from outside like a shell of a giant crustace and expressionist piece of art from which were probably useful for some school events or parades as well. Instead of the raw beauty the inside. The effect of the light that goes through the massive concrete structure is similar to the of the exposed concrete, the structure was covered in plaster and wooden panelling, I can’t one that is used in St. Anselm church in Meguro as well. The facade always tells you how the inner remember, why the ad decided to cover the structure, maybe it was a wish of the investor, or the space looks like - obverse and reverse, but the shape remains the same. Raymond obviously dealt quality of the concrete wasn’t good enough to be exposed. This combination of dark brown and with the concept of a folding or stacking the monolithic concrete structure as it was one light piece white looks like very traditionally and very Japanese. of origami paper to create natural rhythmic openings in the folds that could let the sunlight in to I saw a nice photo taken during the construction, with the young confident Raymond supervising model a unique atmosphere of the interior. We were lucky that we could see the building from the the workers. I think, that even though Raymond was already an experienced architect trained top, accompanied with Rahman and Yoko we enjoyed a public view from the skyscraper located in the internationally famous studios, the whole demanding building process must have been next to it.