- paramodernism - Endo Shuuhei -

This commentary has come quite a long way, relatively. It began with the spontaneous purchase of the pocket Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary Architecture, and an intent on undertaking a more proper architectural pilgrimage this time that I would have a month in the Kansai area. Henceforth followed by my need to find Japanese articles to translate.

So Endo Shuuhei's toilet block came up.
It seems rather fashionable these days for architects to do funky toilet blocks. (Lacoste & Stevenson... Miralles-Pinós*...) And the premise behind Endo's concept was an attack at Modernism, to create paramodern-ism. Just as Modernism prescribed us the cocktail of post-beam-roof-wall, Endo decided to melt these down to form an amalgamated structure - blending wall with roof and out with in. He also used Escher as a precedent where figure/ground and in/out relationships are blurred to the point of complex confusion. A trompe l'oeil approach to architecture was borne in him.

It is intriguing that through questioning Modernity the product that eventuated was this selective Modernity. Prefabrication and mass production in corrugated steel to construct a convoluting envelop/space are a progressed way of selecting from past doctrines and granting it a renewed vigor.

I would love to say that they have broken down the respective specialties of structure and facade too but from the looks of things our friendly piloti still lingers and disallusioning proprietary components still render vertical walls necessary. It is a beautiful concept however I have a feeling I would be disappointed. Unfortunately our very real modular man is still upright.

We'll see, we'll see.

P.S. It's like an over-scissored ribbon!

>A text by Endo Shuuhei


*fine, fine. Changing rooms for an archery range.