METABOLISM, THE CITY OF THE FUTURE exhibition

Metabolism is a movement in modern architecture which began in Japan around 1960, when the country was engaged in post-war reconstruction. The rapid economic growth of the post-war years led to lively debate and experimentation in the field of architecture with the aim of planning the ideal city.

The exhibition now open at the Mori Art Museum is the first to provide a complete overview of the movement, including more than 500 documents and reflections of relevance to contemporary issues in architecture.
 
About 80 projects are now on exhibit before the Japanese public for the first time, represented in models, plans, sketches, photographs and archive films. The exhibition includes the architectural projects designed and built by the "metabolists", starting with the architect considered the movement?s precursor, Kenzo Tange, with his Hiroshima Peace Center.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Title: METABOLISM, THE CITY OF THE FUTURE: Dreams and Visions of Reconstruction in Postwar and Present-Day Japan
Dates: September 17 2011 ? January 15 2012
Location: MORI ART MUSEUM, Tokyo, Japan

www.mori.art.museum/eng/index.html

01
"Metabolism, the City of the Future: Dreams and Visions of Reconstruction in Postwar and Present-Day Japan" Installation view: Mori Art Museum - 2011/9/17 - 2012/1/15
Photo: Watanabe Osamu
Photo Courtesy: Mori Art Museum

02
 Kenzo Tange, Master Plan for Hiroshima and Hiroshima Peace Center Complex, 1953
Photo: Ishimoto Yasuhiro

03
Kikutake Kiyonori, Marine City 1963, 1963
Courtesy: Kikutake Kiyonori

04
"Metabolism, the City of the Future: Dreams and Visions of Reconstruction in Postwar and Present-Day Japan" - Installation view: Mori Art Museum 2011/9/17 - 2012/1/15
Photo: Watanabe Osamu
Photo Courtesy: Mori Art Museum

05
Arata Isozaki , Shinjuku Project: City in the Air - 1961/2011 (CG Video)
Production: A Voluntary Lab, Shibaura Institute of Technology; Ogura Lab, Graduate School, Digital Hollywood University

06
Kenzo Tange, Yamanashi Culture Hall - 1966
Photo: Shinkenchiku-sha
Courtesy: DAAS

07
Maki Fumihiko, Golgi Structure (High Density City) - 1967/2011 (Model)
629 x 900 x 900 mm
Production: Endo Seichi, Kamei Eisaburo, Ishida Toshiaki Lab, Maebashi Institute of Technology
Support: Yamada Ichiro, Mikakuto Co., Ltd.; Murata Minoru, Murata Artwork Co., Ltd.; Sunaga Satoshi, TERAGRESS Co., Ltd.; Iketo Jukichi, Tachibana Kogei Co., Ltd.
Photo: Echelle-1

08
Arata Isozaki, Shibuya Project: City in the Air - 1962/2011 (CG Video)
Production: A Voluntary Lab, Shibaura Institute of Technology; Ogura Lab, Graduate School, Digital Hollywood University

09
Kikutake Kiyonori, Hotel Tokoen - 1965
Tottori, Japan
Photo: Shinkenchiku-sha
Courtesy: DAAS

10
Kikutake Kiyonori, Miyakonojo Civic Center - 1966
Miyazaki, Japan
Photo: Shinkenchiku-sha

11
The Grand Roof and the Festival Plaza, Expo '70 Osaka - 1970
Photo: Shinkenchiku-sha
Courtesy: DAAS

12
Maki Fumihiko, Republic Polytechnic Campus, Singapore - 2007
Courtesy: Maki and Associates

13
Awazu Kiyoshi, Poster for The Works of Kurokawa Kisho - 1970
1022 x 728 mm
Collection: Kisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates

14
Yamaguchi Katsuhiro, Device (Work) 1967
Acrylic plastic, lights  - 1500 x 2000 x 2000 mm
Collection: NST (Deposit: The Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art)

15
Otaka Masato, Maki Fumihiko
Toward Group Form (Shinjuku Terminal Redevelopment Project), 1960
Courtesy: Otaka and Architects