#Trade Shows & Events
shigeru ban on archi depot's role in preserving architectural models
a new exhibition presenting scale models by 40 japanese architects has opened at milan’s triennale design museum. the display, which remains open until july 19, 2015, showcases work by, among others, kengo kuma, riken yamamoto and hitoshi abe.
the event has been coordinated by the archi depot foundation, an organization established to conserve the scale models and designs of japanese architectural culture. the primary objective of the foundation is to preserve and present the scale models that still play an important role in the transmission of the architects’ visions to the general public.
in architecture studios around the world, hand-crafted scale models play an invaluable role in communication. ‘architectural models are the most important tool to present the idea of an architect’, explains the archi depot‘s foundation director shigeru ban. ‘many japanese architects still make architectural models. however, I am afraid we have no system to preserve models and use them effectively. in japan, many architects do not have enough space to keep them. archi depot stores architectural models in a shared warehouse which is open to the public as an exhibition space.’
recognizing the importance of these miniature works of art, the archi depot foundation intends to create its own museum as a space for preserving and archiving architectural models. in addition to this, the foundation is also organizing events and activities using the scale models to stimulate understandings of the relationship between architecture and the urban environment.
‘nowadays computer generated visualization is common to architects, but many japanese architects keep making models,’ shigeru ban told designboom. ‘this indicates that making model is a very important tool not only to make presentations, but also to show the design process from beginning to completion. we discard models due to lack of space, but we should recognize the value of architectural models and take a proactive approach to preserve them.’
although the exhibition includes work by a host of established names, the core of the display focuses on a younger generation of japanese architects. the models explore their visions, conveying the state of contemporary japanese architecture. the exhibition remains open at milan’s triennale design museum until july 19, 2015.
