| There is a long and suprisingly very
rich history of the Czech – Japanese relations (article in Czech) in the field of
architecture. Despite of the geographical distance between the two countries, there were
three important Czech architects working in Japan in the first half of the 20. Century:
Jan Letzel, author of the reinforced concrete building of the so-called “Atomic Bomb
Dome” in Hiroshima; Antonín Raymond, the most influential person in the prewar Japan,
starting with Frank Lloyd Wright on the Imperial Hotel project originally, than continuing
with many villas, schools, hospitals (St. Luke International Hospital in Tsukiji, Tokyo
Golf Club, Reader’s Digest Building…) and Bedøich Feuerstein, working in Raymond’s
studio (U. S. S. R. Embassy in Tokyo) and cooperating later with Japanese international
style architect Kameki Tsuchiura. Many young Japanese architects worked in their studios
having the immediate opportunity to get in touch with the latest world architecture
movements. On the other hand these three architects published many influential articles
about Japanese tradition and it’s latest achievements in Europe. The opening of Japan at
the beginning of the Meiji Period revealed the great treasure of the Japanese
architecture, art and culture. First Japanese wood-block prints in Europe attracted many
impressionist and art nouveau artists, Henry Toulouse Lautrec and Vincent van Gogh among
them. The world famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright incorporated Japanese
“open-plan” and asymmetrical compositions in his early “prairie houses” being the
strong inspiration for European “De Stijl” movement. Even in many houses by Mies van
der Rohe we could see reflections of the eastern tradition of flowing space. After the
1945 Japanese architecture is going to be one of the most vital and inspirative
contribution to the urban environmental studies and is nowadays highly valued for it’s
purity, esthetic and spatial qualities, high technology standard and sensitivity to the
nature. This series of lectures should give a complex information on Japanese
architecture, history and culture to the students of Czech universities and public.
(Regarding the fact, that there is no appropriate literature in the Czech language
available on this particular topic). Japanese culture encyclopaedia in Czech language with
many entries on Japanese architecture and its relations to the Czech countries is in
preparation process - will be published probably 2003. For more information see these pages: list of my lectures and publications on
Japanese architecture (english), complete
bibliographical database of literature on Japanese architecture available in Czech public
libraries (Prague and Brno) and internet
links on Japanese architecture. |