Architect, Goichi Takeda, and Kyoto's modern urban landscape

2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 17520093
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aesthetics/Art history
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: KIYOSE Misao Doshisha University, Faculty of Letters, Associate Professor (00367963)
• Project Period (FY): 2005 – 2007
• Keywords: Art Theory / Aesthetics / History of Architecture and Desien / Urban landscape Design / 環境調和型都市基盤整備・建築

Research Abstract

While Goichi Takeda (1872-1938), the first professor of Kyoto University's Engineering and Architecture Department, has been known as "the father of Kansai's modern architecture, " he has been criticized for lacking prominent work, individuality and consistency in his style. The purpose of the present research is to reexamine the architect's works and his philosophy from the viewpoint of Kyoto's urban landscape. This research also presents a critique of the city's public policy concerning urban design and planning.
We first examined Takeda's characteristic design elements by comparing his plans for the city's bridges, municipal buildings, universities and commercial buildings with those of his contemporaries. These works included designs in which Takeda was involved as an advisor or as a competition juror. The works were all public projects and are now the city's modern landmarks. Takeda's most prominent design characteristics were found to be flat lines that lack depth as well as the u se of subdued colors, such as gray and beige, regardless of architectural style. The research confirms that, as a result, Takeda's works give an impression of being buried among a mixture of buildings having different forms and colors.
An examination of his publications, building plans and evaluations at architectural competitions revealed that Takeda considered "harmony with the surrounding environment" to be the key design element, a concept that transcends any individual building design. In addition, paintings by Takeda's contemporaries at the dawn of western-style paintings in Japan shared the same inspiration. The Kyoto they painted revolved around pale, light earth colors, the shallow flow of the Kamo River and the city as a basin surrounded by the Higashiyama hills with slight shading. Blending buildings, particularly their colors, with such landscape was the core of Takeda's architectural philosophy and is evident in the historical landmarks he designed for the city. This so-called "lack of individuality" was ahead of its time in that it anticipated present-day urban landscape policies. It is easy to overlook Takeda's thought, which places more significance on a bridge than on any individual building, in a contemporary age when waterways have declined and bridges are merely extensions of the road. This researcher, however, strongly urges the city of Kyoto to incorporate Takeda's philosophy in its urban landscape design policy.