明信片（建築與環境）

明信片（建築）

明信片（人與建築）

這些明信片中的文句，都出自印度詩哲泰戈爾的《漂鳥集》。

西宮市貝類館（09-03）

We start off today again by visiting an Ando's architecture. I am getting fed up with Ando. It is a typical Ando: greyish concrete with glasses. Similar to the chapel of wind on the Mt. Rokko, there is a coverred passage way with tinted glasses (毛玻璃). This project, however, has a curved roof. Come to think of it, the curve may relate to the shape of sails on boats docking in the nearby piers. On the site, the building occupies half of the site, the edge of the building seems to line up to buildings across the street. Entrances to the building are not on the main street but to the passage way. Why? a student asked. I couldn't answer.

Yokodo Guesthouse (09-03)

The Yokodo guesthouse by Frank Lloyd Wright is a total opposite of Ando's design. Cozy and warm (as opposed to empty and cold), the feeling is quite typical of Wright's other designs. The interior is very japanese which fits well with the space. It is no less japanese than the traditional japanese architecture. Details of Wright's house are very impressive.

京都音樂廳（09-04）

The day started with the Kyoto Concert Hall by Isozaki. It is a composition of a cylinder, a box and a bunch of curves (piano? signs on music sheets?). The cylinder contains the space for the ensamble of murata(?). The exterior of the cylinder is black with the material of stone (artificial) plates.

The site plan of this architecture is special in that the entrances facing the main road are service entrances, such as performer's entrance, loading docks, and garage entrance. The main entrance for audiences is at the corner couryard. The abnormal site plan actually distinguishes Isozaki from us, the ordinary designers.

北山通（09-04）

At the Nichiyama street (北山通), we visited two buildings by Takamatsu Shin. His designs contain decorative parts that are quite superfacial in contrast to Ando's works. Takamatsu's architecture are flowers while Ando's are tree truncks (?).

The Ando today, the fine art courtyard is a very beautiful courtyard of water and paintings. This is a very successful gallery showing world reknown art work, such as The Last Supper by Da Vinci, and The Last Judgement by Michelangelo. It is an open-air gallery.

丸東15／17（09-04）

Finding this building by 若林廣杏 was a tough task. Were not for our tour manager (領隊), we could not have visited it. The design is very similar to that of Takamatsu's machine-like buildings. All the machine-like details are decorative parts of the building. However, for a commercial building, this may well suit the purposes. Nevertheless, not a lot of local people know about this building indicates something (what?). No locals knows it, that's why we had a hard time finding it.

織陣（09-04）

Origin by Takamatsu is again a work of mannerism. We were able to enter the building because there is a clothing/fabric design store. In contrast to the machine-like exterior, the interior is natural and warm.

京都國立美術館（09-04）

In contrast to Ando's 陶版名畫庭 which is much more interesting, this museum by 搷文彥 has quite elegant details (but at times seem excessive). I, in particular, like the japanese-paper treated glasses, i.e. two glass panels with a layer of japanese paper-like fabric sandwiched in. It gives the flasses a very elegant texture.

The lobby of this museum reminded me of the National Gallery designed by I.M. Pei at Washington, D.C. However, this lobby is a rather dead space where the only activity is passing through (walk by) to special exhibition.

Time's (09-04)

Last visit of the day is again Ando's design--Time's. I may feel fed up with Ando's architecture. However, they are longer lasting (with nice after taste).

From the streets of Kyoto (09-05)

[Figure here] I saw an odd minivan on the street of Kyoto. The window in its back is not centered. The window looks like a corner window of a building. This is surprising because it is an asymmatical design which I had never seen before.

[Figure here] On the residential area of Kyoto, small curved panels made by bamboo are often seen in front of old buildings. Our tour guide could not answer the question of what's it for. I suspect that it is to protect the lower part of the building (external wall) of the wooden structure. I do, however, see an modern application today, several flower pots are placed behind a panel.

東本願寺（09-05）

This is a rainy day. Our first stop 東本願寺 is under rennovation. At first, I thought the whole building has been taken apart. It turned out that I was able to get into the building. The roof is the part that is under rennovation. The scalfolding has covered the whole building that's giving me the false impression.

I learned that this is the largest wooden structure in the world. There is a rope made of human hair that was used to lift the beams of the building. The building was first built in 1608 (?). In the course of past 400 years, there have been major fires so that the building had to be rebuilt. The current structure was built in 1895.

I was Takamatsu Shin's addition to this complex. It is unlike any other of his designs that we had visited for the past few days.

清水寺、高台寺（09-05）

Rain gives 清水寺 a touch of misty look. The gardens in 高台寺 are very green and beautiful. People are so in need of lucks and charms so that they packed in these places. There are native tourists as well as foreigners.

Temples in Kyoto are big to worship the almighty gods. There is a ritual to go through......

龍安寺（09-05）

I am taking a sound recording at the stone garden (枯山水) of Ronganji temple. The prominent sound is the rain water dropping down the drainage. The drainage is a trench with stones. In addition to the sound of raindrops, there are sound of people, words and footsteps. At times, the people sound is quite annoying. Another natural (non-manmade) sound is that of crows, ah, ah, ah.

Water always gives me pleasant feelings--the water in Alhambra Spain, in Ando's design (e.g. Kyoto fine art court), and here.

Now, the raindrops form the backdrop of the soundscape, more people set down by me. It is like the ripples in the quiet pond. More and more ripples. It is impossible to keep a quiet mind anymore. I shall escape from here, from people.

飛鳥博物館（09-06）

Chikatsu-Asuka Museum is mind bogging. From the parking lot, we climbed the steps, walked acrossed the giant stairs, and went through two walls before reaching the museum entrance. What an experience! I had to stop the expressed my awing feeling before passing through those walls. The interior of the museum gave the impression of the inside of a tumb.

光的教會（09-06）

Dark floor, sloped floor, this church is the best among the three Ando's churches/chapels we've visited during this trip. The black wooden floor feels much warm and comfortable than the black stone floor of the chapel of wind. In terms of main aisle, this church is a longer rectangle whereas the chapel of wind is near a square-shape.

大山崎山莊美術館（09-06）

This art museum has a very small addition designed by Ando. I am amazed by the art collection housed in this new building--master pieces by Monet and Miro. Two statues by Miro are as cute as other works of his. There are statues no larger than 30cm by 30cm by 30cm. Four water lilies by Monet reminded me of a special trip to Chicago in around 1996 with the CMU gangs.

In addition to the master art work, the coffee here is the best I've had in the past 6 days in Japan.

Also in display in the museum are design drawings of this art museum. Here the design process (alternative proposals) were displayed. The initial design had the existing building encicled by new addition. It was not as elegant as the current solution.

Sleepless in Osaka (09-07)

Early morning, the screeky sound turned so lout that I was awaken at night. I fell asleep again. Around 7 AM I was again awaken by the noise. At times, not only the window/facade-side of the room was making noise, the bathroom door was too. It seems to me that this is caused by the wind. The building is bending back and forth under the wind. Yet, if this is the case, this hotel is not gonna make it long. I took a sound recording of the noise. At the time, there were also trains passing by. The low frequency noise can travel very far.

O.K. I just answered the phonecall which informed me that the noise is caused by wind. Just as I thought. I doubt how long this business will last.

日本關西行後

9/9回到台灣
天氣還算晴朗
不像10天前出發時的陰沈
但是我的心裡
有一種失落的感覺

是因為旅行就要畫下句點了吧

我喜歡做個旅人
坦然地接受新環境的人事物
沒有負擔不加任何評論

回台北的遊覽車中粉紅色調的內裝
高速公路兩旁的參差的建物
心中有一種嫌惡感
或許是自己太熟悉的環境
無法用旅人開放的胸襟來接納

成見

對照我在旅途中的

遇見

將是這份網誌的主軸