Contributed by Japan Foundation Manila
An Exhibition featuring sustainable Japanese Architecture and A Public Dialogue with Japanese & Filipino Architects and an Engineer
The Japan Foundation, Manila and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, in cooperation with Embassy of Japan in the Philippines are pleased to announce the traveling exhibition Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan which will be physically exhibited from September 1 to 30, 2020 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan presents a rarely considered aspect of Japan, taking the built environment of the various of regions of a country that is geographically diverse and often struck by natural disasters, with the aim of examining how Japanese people have engaged and struggled with the natural environment and how they have carried on and created locality. The exhibition features photographs, texts, and videos to introduce a total of 80 buildings, civil-engineering projects, and landscapes which extends from the modern era of the late 19th century to the present, and geographically, it includes at least one offering from each of Japan’s 47 prefectures. It has been exhibited in countries like Vietnam, South Korea, China, India, and more.
In view of the current restrictions on limited openings and gatherings, the exhibition will be launched on September 1, 2020 during an online webinar which will feature a virtual tour of the exhibition at the MET followed by a dialogue with the curator and a panel of Japanese and Philippine architects and an engineer focusing on the built environments both in Japan and the Philippines, using responsive design that withstand natural disasters including a perilous pandemic in both countries.
The webinar will feature the Curator of the Exhibition, Kurakata Shunsuke (Associate Professor of Faculty of Engineering at Osaka City University), Kurokawa Sho (CEO, Sho Kurokawa architects Co. Ltd.), Jo Miranda (Chairman, United Architects of the Philippines- Emergency Architects), Lorena Hernandez (Project Team Leader, TAO-Pilipinas) and moderated by Architect Emmanuel Miñana, Principal of E.A. Miñana Architects, and a member of the MET Museum of Manila Board of Trustees.
“We hope that Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan offers a comprehensive look at not just the elegant design and sophisticated technology of Japanese architecture, but also their relation to history, culture, and the environment. We hope that this exhibition can also contribute to a meaningful dialogue with Filipino architects, engineers, and other sustainability experts as both countries deal with diverse geography, natural disasters, and other global changes,” says UESUGI Hiroaki, Director of the Japan Foundation, Manila.
Schedule
September 1, 2020 (Tues),
4:00 – 5:30 pm (PH)
5:00 – 6:30 pm (JPN)
Our Built Environments: Withstanding Disaster and Responsive Design
A Curator’s Talk and Dialogue with
KURAKATA Shunsuke (Associate Professor, Osaka City University)
KUROKAWA Sho (CEO, Sho Kurokawa architects Co. Ltd.)
Jo MIRANDA (Chairman, United Architects of the Philippines-Emergency
Architects)
Lorena HERNANDEZ (Project Team Leader, TAO-Pilipinas)
To be moderated by Architect Emmanuel “Manny” Miñana (Principal, E.A.
Miñana Architects)
Online Webinar at Zoom, Live on Facebook
REGISTRATION LINK: http://bit.ly/OurBuiltEnvironmentsWebinar
Curator Kurakata Shunsuke will share his insights on modern Japanese
architecture and spaces, in the perspective of “built environments”.
Join a panel of Filipino and Japanese architects and an engineer as they share
their projects in disaster-response and post-calamity contexts, and the
environmental conditions which factor in their practice. Together with the
curator, they will discuss and reflect on the role of architecture and design in
the built environment of Japan and the Philippines.
Launch of Online Exhibition Video Tour
Metropolitan Museum of Manila Youtube Channel and social media pages
Facebook: facebook.com/metmanila
Twitter: twitter.com/metmuseummanila
Instagram: instagram.com/metmuseummanila
Launch of ‘Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan’ Online Gallery
http://metmuseum.ph/built-environment
SPEAKERS:
Kurakata Shunsuke is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at Osaka City University since 2011, where he teaches architectural history and theory. His primary research interests center on architectural ideas in modern Japan, including his doctoral dissertation, Study on the architecture and Philosophy of Chuta Ito (1867-1954).He also published numerous books on popular architecture, and is the co-founder of Access Point: Architecture-Tokyo, a cultural resource on architectural education for the public.
Kurokawa Sho obtained a master’s degree at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio, Switzerland. He founded Sho Kurokawa architects in Tokyo in 2014. Since then, he has been working for various design projects and educational activities in Japan, China, and Switzerland. He is a visiting lecturer in Keio University, and one of the founding members of Japan Swiss Architecture Association – JSAA, a cultural and technological exchange platform established in 2018.
Jo Miranda’s design and build practice in Manila, Mindanao and Central Visayas developed his interest and practical knowledge in the effective use of local and indigenous materials. He has recently taken up the task of heading the Emergency Architects of the Philippines, actively involving in solutions in resilient building and alternative temporary shelters while working with stakeholders towards a better organized disaster risk reduction and management community in the country.
Lorena Hernandez is a licensed civil engineer. In 2015, she started working for TAO- Pilipinas as Human Settlements and Environment program staff where she monitored TAO’s post-Haiyan shelter assistance projects in Guiuan and Salcedo in Eastern Samar. She is now the project team leader for technical assistance to a community partner of TAO, supervising the construction of core houses and leading a project that utilized renewable energy technology in community facilities.
