Earoph 8th Conference in Jakarta 1982

 

歴博国際シンポジウム2007「日中比較文化史の構築ー宮殿・寺廟・住宅ー」，国立歴史民族博物館大会議室，2007年12月8～9日

 歴博国際シンポジウム2007「日中比較文化史の構築ー宮殿・寺廟・住宅ー」，国立歴史民族博物館大会議室，2007年12月8～9日

Speaker：Colonial Urban Heritage and Asian Urban Traditions， UrbanーCultural Research Center，Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences， The 21st Century COE Program， International Symposium， Osaka City University， 1st Oct.， 2006：大阪市立大学大学院文学研究科，COE国際シンポジウム

 Speaker：Colonial Urban Heritage and Asian Urban Traditions， UrbanーCultural Research Center，Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences， The 21^st Century COE Program， International Symposium， Osaka City University， 1^st Oct.， 2006：大阪市立大学大学院文学研究科，COE国際シンポジウム

Colonial Urban Heritage and Asian Urban Traditions

 

Prof. Dr. Shuji Funo

Chairman of Architectural Planning Committee

Chairman of Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering (JAABE)

Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ)

Graduate School of Environmental Planning The University of Shiga Prefecture

                                                                                                              2500 Hassaka-cho , Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture 〒522-8533

tel= +81-(0)749-28-8200（Rep）0749-28-8272 Lab. fax: 8342) e-mail　funo@ses.usp.ac.jp

 

Introduction

  I have been deeply involved in urban and architectural fields in Asia for more than a quarter of a century since 1978, when we started the research project on human settlements in Southeast Asia jointly with ITS (ITS Institute Teknologi Surabaya) research Group leaded by Prof. Johan Silas.

I firstly carried out the field survey on kampungs (urban villages)[1], that had decided major direction of my urban studies. The world of kampung I had encountered opened my eyes to the vast field of Asia. I am sure now that kampung is so interesting as a model of urban community to be developed to the neighborhood unit of a new town even in another regions[2]. I wrote my doctorate thesis titled "Studies on Transitional Process of Kampung and Kampung Housing System --Considerations on Alternative Strategies for Housing"(Tokyo University) in 1987[3], which is my first accomplishment and the base ever since.

  After finishing doctorate thesis, I was invited to participate in studies for Islamic city and happened to discover a unique Hindu city named Cakranegara in Lombok Island next to Bali Island, which leads me to next stage of my urban studies. To compare the Hindu city and Muslim city became one of the objectives of my research from that time. The fact that the formation of Muslim quarters are very different from that of Hindu quarters in Cakranegara leads us to enlarge the field. I wrote a paper[4] on Cakranegara in 2002.

Looking for the target city to be compared with Cakranegara, we thought of Jaipur[5], the capital of Rajasthan, India, famous as a gridiron city, which was constructed in the same early 18^th century by Jai Singh II. Two cities. one of which located at the western end, and the other at the eastern end of the Hindu civilization, were thought as two typical models, so we develop our research framework to Indian Subcontinent. We surveyed cities as Ahmedabad[6], Madurai[7], Varanasi,[8] Lahore, Delhi, Katmandu[9](Nepal), Patan[10](Nepal), Thimi[11](Nepal)…..

  I recently wrote a book titled “The City as Mandala; The Spatial Idea of Hindu City and its Transformation”(Japanese) in 2006 by picking up three cities, Madurai, Jaipur and Cakranegara and am preparing with Dr. M.M Pant to publish a book titled “Stupa & Swastika; A study on planning principles of Patan, Katmandu Valley”(English) in 2007.

  Next step had come with research project on colonial city funded by Ministry of Education and Science, Japan since 1997. We recognized the great western impact on city planning in Asia through studies on urban tissues for these years. For the first two years (1997-98), we concentrated on the British colonial cities like Munbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta)[12] in India. British have been leading modern planning method for all over the world since mid 19^th century, which is familiar with us because many text books referred the modern urban planning history. I turn our eyes to Dutch colonial cities in Asia, the reason for which Asia has many cities originated from the bases(lodges, factories, forts, castles) of Portuguese and Dutch colonial cities—especially, The Netherlands had been only country for Japanese to contact through Dezima during 1641-1986.

  The Netherlands colonized Indonesian Archipelago and established Batavia (Jakarta) as a headquarter of Dutch East India Company (VOC), which closely connected Dezima, Nagasaki, Japan to the Modern World system. We conducted field surveys on Jakarta, Malacca, Galle, Colombo, Cochin[13], Nagapattinam[14]…Cape Town and stretched our legs lastly to Dutch colonial cities in West Indies as Recife (Brazil), Paramaribo (Surinam), Willemstad (Curacao). In terms of colonial cities, we had chances twice to hold international symposia at SINICA, Taiwan[15]. In terms of cities in East Asia, I am making a study on Beijing[16], Taipei[17], and Korean cities till the moment with foreign students from Asia.

 Based on my experiences in Asian field for a quarter century, I would like to raise some topics related to the subject.

 

Ⅰ Kampung as a World

  Kampung is so interesting as a model of urban community as I mentioned above. Kampung in Indonesian(Malaysian) language literally means ‘village’. People use the word even in urban context. Kampungan means ‘country boy’ in the city. OED (Oxford English Dictionary) says the word ‘kumpung’ is the origin of the word ‘compound’ although another theory says that derives from the Portuguese ‘campo’. Hearing that the enclosed living quarter in Batavia and Malacca is called ‘kampung’ by the natives, Englishman began to use the word ‘compound=kampung’ in India in early 19^th century, thereafter also began to use the word in Africa.

Housing and urban issues are still big problems in Asian countries, especially in developing countries. I think we call the major issues to mind before discussing urban heritage. The existence of urban settlements like kampungs itself presents urban heritage, which is not the impedance to be swept away. Most of them are in poor condition physically, and economically but are not necessarily poor socially. It should be emphasized that urban settlement in the developing countries is not a slum, which shows different appearances from slums in Western cities. Destruction of social structure, bad and criminal acts etc. are not rarely seen in developing countries.

The characteristics of kampungs to be noticed are as follows. We can learn a lot from kampungs, which has own system. When we plan and design the city or urban settlement, we should respect the vernacular values urban settlement has maintained.

  (1) Variety of Kampungs

  Each kampung has its own characteristics which varies according to location (distance from the city center), constitution of income groups, migratory backgrounds of inhabitants or mobility of population, its history, its spatial pattern and so on. It's very important that distribution of various urban settlements give alternatives when people choose the place to live. Even the poorest income group can find some living quarters. Some scholar insists that variety of kampung is only a solution to the housing problems at the moment in developing regions.

 (2) Kampung as a Whole World

  Kampung is not a mere residential settlements. New town in Japan, for example, is often called Bed (Dormitory) Town because it has no other functions except sleeping (staying) especially for business man. But urban settlement in general has both functions of production and consumption. The cycle from production to consumption can be closed within the same kampung. Living place is very near to workplace. Almost all the daily activities can be carried out in the neighborhood unit. It must be pointed out that kampung itself are parasitic to the city center, which has various facilities for job opportunity. They cannot survive without earning money from outside the kampung. But urban settlement largely forms autonomous and self-contained community.

(3) Heterogeneity of Kampung

  Kampung forms plural society and is not a homogeneous community. Mix habitation, which means the situation various groups live together in a same area, is a characteristic of kampung. Rich people often live in next door to poor people. It should be noticed that rich people support the life of the poor even in the poorest kampungs.

 (4) Kampung as a Highly Serviced Society---Hawkers (peddlers)' culture

  Everybody can get almost all the kinds of foods and goods for daily life because street vendor and peddlers are always rambling to serve the inhabitants. It is because job opportunity is very scarce in the kampung. But for the inhabitants, kampung is a highly serviced society.

 (5) Mutual Aid System

  Kampung communities is usually well organized. The inhabitants help themselves through the mutual aid activities, which is indispensable in the kampung life. The spirit of mutual aid characterizes kampung community.

(6) Preservation of Traditional Culture

  People tend to preserve the traditional way of life in the rural village from where he comes. Kampung should be considered to be a settlement that has own vernacular values.

 (7) Housing as a Process

   Housing is a process. Kampungs are generated by accumulating infinite housing process of various inhabitants. In urban (Regional) planning or housing project, we should accept the gradual process of addition of the individual house.

 (8) Complicated Ownership Relations

  It is one of the major characteristics that ownership relations are complicated. It seems behind from the modern world, but complicated land ownership relations sometimes resist the speculation.

T.G. McGee use the term ‘Urban Involution’ following C. Geertz’s ‘Agricultural Involution’, which is very suggestive in discussing the future of urban community. Every city has spatial limits in size and cannot expand infinitely because of various reasons, among which ecological one is crucial. How to utilize the limited urban resources is common subject of every city. Involution, that is, evolution inward instead of extension and expansion outward seems important. Enriching and beautifying the city inside is needed besides developing the outer city. The lives in kampungs are maintained by principle of shared poverty by C. Geertz. Kampung people can survive by sharing the limited resources, proceeded our work-sharing system.

  Kampung Improvement program(KIP), which I have to neglect here, is famous as an urban strategy.

 

Ⅱ Historical Urban Resources as Mutual Heritage

Most of the big cities in Asia are becoming similar and similar because buildings are built by using the same materials and same construction techniques based on Industrialization. Modernization or Westernization influenced all the aspects of our daily lives and modified the structure of our cities. Looking at old urban cores in Asian cities, we recognize how we accept the European civilization and culture. However, buildings that formed the core of old town in Asian countries are being replaced by high-rise buildings. Even modern architecture built 50 years ago is hanging by a thread. How to preserve, conserve and revitalize the old core of the cities is becoming common subject in Asian cities.

We are very familiar with world history after Cristobal Colon ‘discovered’ ‘New World’ in 1492. European countries headed by Portuguese and Spain had started up activities overseas competitively. The ‘New World’ was divided into two by Tordesillas treatment in 1494, which decided the western part belonged to Spain and the eastern part belonged to Portuguese. Portuguese utilized eth existing native networks of cities in Asia though Spain planted many colonial cities newly based on laws of Indies in Latin America. After Portuguese established cities like, The Dutch attacked and deprived almost all the Portuguese outposts except Goa, Macao and so on. According to I. Wallerstein’s ‘Theory of World System’, it was the Dutch who had firstly grasped hegemony of Modern World System in 16^th –17^th century which is called ‘Century of Netherlands’, in advance of England. The Dutch constructed Batavia(Jakarta) in the same period when Edo(Tokyo) had been constructed and being developed. However the Dutch handed her Asian colonial ouutposts and cities over England in the end of 18^th century, except the cities in Indonesia.

The age of Imperialism had come with England and France, which modified the port cities built by Portugues and the Netherlands and planted cities inland, especially in India.

The Metropolises like Kolkata, Chennnai, Munbai, New Delhi and cities in straits colony were built by the British Empire.

As a results of the long history of European expansion in Asia as mentioned briefly above, the great amount of colonial urban heritages are left in Asia.

In case of many cities whose origins are traced back to the colonial period, the problem is a little bit complicated because reconstruction or preservation of colonial monuments built by European recalls the memory of domination and exploitation. It is natural for Indonesian people to oppose the proposal of reconstruction of Batavia castle by the Netherlands.

  But we have a case in Sri Lanka who launches the concept of mutual heritage and dual parentage. European culture has already penetrated into most of the regions in South and Southeast Asia sometimes deeply or partially. Sri Lanka is willingly to propose, for example, Galle Fort built by Dutch is registered as a world heritage site.

  However we have another serious case in East Asia. Old Korean National Museum (the former Japanese Colonial Office (Chosen Sotokuhu) building) was destructed in 1995, for the 50^th anniversary of liberation, which I believe is political correctness. On the other hand, the former Japanese Colonial Office in Taipei (Taiwan Sotokuhu) is still being used as home of presidents. It depends the case, which way people chose.

  Anyway, the periods of scrap and build have gone. How to reuse and convert the architectural stocks are important issues for the revitalization of the old urban core in Asian cities. We have many good examples in Korea.

 

Ⅲ Asian Urban Traditions

Western ideas, methods and techniques related architecture, building construction, and urban planning have been influential to Japan since Meiji Restoration until now.

The dichotomy of the west and the east, or Europe vs. Asia continues to dominate our brain and frame of references.

It is our task to discover indigenous principles of architectural techniques and planning methods and to clarify the relationship between regions. I wrote two text books, one is “A History of Asian Cities and Architecture”, which is now on the process of translation both in China and Korea and the other is “The Houses across the World”. I think a plenty of works to stimulate our curiosity in Asian fields are left.

How to define geographical range of Asia and how to differentiate the periods in history is the first issue to discuss. We indeed need a global view of architectural history.

I suppose the world of vernacular architecture as a base in each region. From the north to the south and from the east and west, Eurasia is consisted of various districts from the ecological view point. And Asia has 3 regional cores of urban civilizations, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus and Huang He, the influence of which extended all over Asia. Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism that rose and spread in Asia created the architectural tradition of building types needed. Chinese tradition of architecture and city planning is also very influential especially in East and Southeast Asia. If we see the architectural tradition in Southeast Asia, several layers of influences, which are Indianization, Sinicization, Islamication, Westernization, and Modernization, are differentiated in even one city.

What we should clarify is not one urban system but various streams of architectural traditions in Asia.

If we look at the tradition of cities in Asia, several stories are needed to be discussed. Asia is roughly divided into two areas in terms of interrelations with urban form and cosmologies. Asia has two cores, which established the idea of city, India and China. Both had strong influences to their peripheral regions. Hindu idea of City, which had been written in “Arthasastra” or “Vastusastra”s like “Manasara” and “Mayamata”, was transmitted to Southeast Asian regions like Angkor, Myanmar, Thailand, Jawa, and Cakranegara. Ancient Chinese Idea of capital city, which had been described in “周礼”考工記 and implemented later in the form of Beijing, are transmitted to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. However, in western part of Eurasia where is now mostly Islam regions, we cannot find interrelations between the form of the city and cosmology in the regions. We have to clarify the various urban traditions in Asia.

Urban tissues in Asian cities at present are also investigated carefully to propose the future of the city.

 

Ⅳ Urban System based on the Ecological Balance in the Region

 We have a chance to build so called Surabaya Eco house, which aims at developing the model of collective housing in South East Asia (Humid Tropical Regions). This experimental project firstly launch the basic plan based on our previous studies on kampungs. Our proposal was luckily accepted as a project by IDI (International Foundation Development of Infrastructure), and the model house was built at Surabaya (ITS campus, Indonesia) in June 1998. We have done to monitor the environmental conditions of Eco-cycle House. We are thinking to try the experiment based on the analysis and to push out our model to be socialized in the near future.

The basic techniques and methods are as follows

A. Skeleton-Infill Structural Method

  We have designed a building’s skeleton of long-durable concrete structure, and partitions and exterior walls (Infill) of flexible structure to accommodate dwellers needs, allowing them to participate (Do-it-Yourself).

B.     Planning Adequate to Local Life Style

  Local life style has been given priority by enlarging sections for common use in collective houses, with broader free and common space arrangements. Private sections have been made more independent space.

C.    Passive Cooling Technology

①Double Roofing

To effectively break sunlight heat, the roof has been designed as double-layered-roof with heat-insulating and air layers. The heat-insulating material has been developed of local products, coconut fiber. The air layer is placed the outer-side of heat-insulator intending quick spontaneous discharge of sunlight heat.

②Windows and Outer Walls for Insulating Sunlight Heat

A bigger roof and deeper eaves have been built to cut the sunlight, and a wooden-side walls system not to absorb sunlight heat.

③Commonly Shared Open Space Arrangements, Ventilation and Natural Lighting

The commonly shared free and open air space has been utilized to secure horizontal and vertical ventilation channels. Windows have been installed on the top roof to facilitate ventilation and heat discharge, and to get natural lighting. And a 3-story high void space has been built at the center of the building.

④Ventilation Channels in Private Sections

To facilitate cross ventilation in private sections, an arrangement of openings and operating system have been designed. Two openings have been installed on the outer wall, and a vent window onto commonly shared open space. The operating system has been designed to allow ventilation not only during daytime but also at night.

⑤Cold Storage by Night Ventilation

Concrete floor slab with big thermal capacity is utilized as a cooling system. Cool air is led into rooms by the night ventilation to store the coolness in the concrete floor. This provides a coolant for the next daytime.

⑥Radiant Cooling System by Circulating Water

  A polypropylene pipe is buried in the concrete slab floor to circulate well water for radiant cooling effect. The well water is kept in underground tank beneath the ground floor and is circulated by a solar-photovoltaic driven pump. The circulated water is reused for flushing toilets or sprinkling.

  After completion of the building, the thermal conditions have been monitored to verify the passive cooling effect. The effects of ventilating layers and heat-insulation materials are quite remarkable. The coconut fiber’s heat resistance can be estimated, and it has been proved to have good heat properties as insulation materials. The concrete floor slab was cooled down by massive ventilation at night when temperature goes down, to determine the effects of cold storage. The daytime temperatures are about 2 degrees lower than the case without any night ventilation. The floor slab surface has a promising cooling radiation. Circulating-water radiant cooling effects fluctuate according to the water temperatures. The lower the water temperature the better the effect, but even at 28 degrees is sufficient the radiant cooling effect.

　My experience above is so limited and has many problems to be discussed, and how to enlarge this kind of  Eco-cycled System to urban scale is important. Urban systems based on ecological balance in the regions are needed all over the world..

 

 

 

 

---

[1] Shuji Funo: Dominant Issues of Three Typical Kampungs and Evaluation of KIP, Peran Perbaikan Kampung dalam Pembangunan Kota, KOTAMADJA SURABAYA ITS, 1985

[2] Shuji Funo, Naohiko Yamamoto, Johan Silas: Typology of Kampung Houses and their Transformation Process A Study on Urban Tissues of Indonesian Cities, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Vol.1 No.2, pp193-200, Nov. 2002

[3] AIJ Best Paper Award in 1991

[4] Shuji Funo: The Spatial Formation in Cakranegara, Lombok, in Peter J.M. Nas (ed.):Indonesian town revisited, Muenster/Berlin, LitVerlag, 2002

[5] Shuji Funo, Lanshiang Huan, Shu Yamane, Naohiko Yamamoto, Mohan Pant: Street Pattern Block System of Jaipur City, Rajastan, India, 3rd International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia 'Challenges and Roles of Asian Architecture for the New Millennium, Cheju National University, Cheju Island, Korea, 23-25 Feb. 2000,'

Shuji Funo, Lanshiang Huan, Shu Yamane, Naohiko Yamamoto, Mohan Pant: Building Types and Block Pattern of Jaipur City, Rajastan, India, 3rd International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia 'Challenges and Roles of Asian Architecture for the New Millennium, Cheju National University, Cheju Island, Korea, 23-25 Feb. 2000,'

Shuji Funo, Naohiko Yamamoto, Mohan Pant: Space Formation of Jaipur City, Rajastan, India-An Analysis on City Maps (1925-28) Made by Survey of India, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Vol.1 No.1 March 2002

[6] Shuji Funo, Shu Yamane, Norihisa Numata, Eiji Negami: Space Formation of the Street Blocks within the Walled City of Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India), 3rd International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia 'Challenges and Roles of Asian Architecture for the New Millennium, Cheju National University, Cheju Island, Korea, 23-25 Feb. 2000,'

Shuji Funo, Shu Yamane, Norihisa Numata, Eiji Negami: Group Form of Urban Houses of Manek Chowk District (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India), 3rd International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia 'Challenges and Roles of Asian Architecture for the New Millennium, Cheju National University, Cheju Island, Korea, 23-25 Feb. 2000,'

[7] Ayako Otsuji, Kiwamu Yanagisawa, Shuji Funo: Spatial Formation of Madurai, India:-Compared with Rajdhani Plan, Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, AIJ, 25 May, “Global Environment and Diversity of Asian Architecture”, June 1-4, 2004, Matsue, Japan.

[8] Kiwamu Yanagisawa, Shuji Funo: Spatial Formation of Varanasi, India- An Analysis of the Urban Structure---Pilgrimage Roads, Mohalla as Community, Composition of Block and Houses, Proceedings 4th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, “Resource Architecture and Modern Technology”, September 17-19, 2002, Chongqing, China.

[9] Mohan Pant and Shuji Funo: The Grid and Modular Measures in the Town Planning of Mohenjo daro and Katmandu Valley A Study on Modular Measures in Block and Plot Divisions in the Planning of Mohenjo daro and Sirkap (Pakistan), and Thimi (Katmandu Valley), Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Vol.4 No.1, pp5159, May. 2005

[10] Shuji Funo, Yasushi Takeuchi, Mohan Pant: Considerations on the Distribution of Small Ritual Facilities on the Public Space in Patan (Katmandu Valley, Nepal), 3rd International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia 'Challenges and Roles of Asian Architecture for the New Millennium, Cheju National University, Cheju Island, Korea, 23-25 Feb. 2000,'

[11] Mohan Pant, Shuji Funo: Ancestral Shrine and the Structure of Katmandu Valley Towns-the Case of Thimi, 3rd International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia 'Challenges and Roles of Asian Architecture for the New Millennium, Cheju National University, Cheju Island, Korea, 23-25 Feb. 2000,'

Mohan Pant, Shuji Funo: Dwelling Types of the Town of Thimi, Katmandu Valley—An Analysis of Community Dwelling Clusters, Proceedings 4th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, “Resource Architecture and Modern Technology”, September 17-19, 2002, Chongqing, China.

Mohan Pant, Shuji Funo: A Morphological Analysis of Neighborhood Structure - Toles and the Ritual Artifacts of the Katmandu Valley Towns – the Case of Thimi, ‘Special Issue The Wisdom of Asian Art and Architecture’, “ MANUSIA” Journal of Humanities, No.3 2002

Mohan Pant, Shuji Funo: A Study on the Pattern of Plot Division of Courtyard Residential Blocks of Patan, Katmandu Valley, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Vol.3 No.1, pp197-1205, May. 2004

[12] ] Shu Yamane, Shuji Funo, Takashi Ikejiri: A Study on the Formation and the Transformation of British Colonial Cities in India-Town Planning and its Transformation after Independence in New Delhi, Proceedings 4th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, “Resource Architecture and Modern Technology”, September 17-19, 2002, Chongqing, China.

Takashi Ikejiri, Masao Ando, Shuji Funo: An Overview of Spatial Formation and Transformation of the “Black Towns” in India, Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, AIJ, 25 May, “Global Environment and Diversity of Asian Architecture”, June 1-4, 2004, Matsue, Japan.

[13] Kyouta Yamada, Shuji Funo: Considerations on Block Formation and Residential
Typology in Fort Cochin (Kerala, India), Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, AIJ, 25 May, “Global Environment and Diversity of Asian Architecture”, June 1-4, 2004, Matsue, Japan.

[14] KyotaYamada, Shuji Funo: A Study on the Spatial Formation of Cochin, India-Case Study of Dutch Colonial City in India, Proceedings 4th International Symposium on Architectural Interchange in Asia, “Resource Architecture and Modern Technology”, September 17-19, 2002, Chongqing, China.

[15] 布野修司、近代世界システムと植民都市の形成---Modern　World　System　and　the Formation of Colonial City, 国際学術検討会「被殖民都市與建築」---International Symposium: Urban and Architectural Histories under Colonial Rule in Asia, Taiwan, SINICA 6-7, Sep. 2000, 台湾中央研究院,2000年9月6-7日

布野修司： 植民都市の文化変容―土着と外来―都市住居の形成 殖民都市的文化轉化；本土與外來—以城市居住形式為中心論述—, 「第二回被殖民都市與建築—本土文化與殖民文化—」國際學術研討會、台湾中央研究院台湾史研究所,11月24日,民国93（2004）年

[16] Yi Deng, Shuji Funo, Tsutomu Shigemura: A Study on the Block Formation and its Subdivision into the Housing Lots in the Inner City of Beijing An Analysis of Qianlong Jingcheng Quantu, Map of the Capital City of Qianlong Period (1750), Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Vol.1 No.2, pp209-217, Nov. 2002

[17] Ming-chung Chuch, Shuji Funo, Sadahiko Tanaka: Community Organization of the Village Settlement and Service Area of Religious Centres: Si-Miao, in Konghinglie (Singdyam City, Taiwan), Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Vol.1 No.3, pp191-198, May. 2003

第9回 アジアの建築交流シンポジウム（The 9th International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia（ISAIA）） 韓国・光州大会 報告「アジア建築学会へ」，建築雑誌，201301

 第9回 アジアの建築交流シンポジウム（The 9th International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia（ISAIA）） 韓国・光州大会 報告「アジア建築学会へ」，建築雑誌，201301

第９回　アジアの建築交流シンポジウム（The ９th　International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia（ISAIA））　韓国・光州大会　報告

　アジア建築学会へ

 

10月22日～25日、韓国・光州において、第9回アジアの建築交流シンポジウム（ISAIA）が開催（金大中コンヴェンションセンター）され、和田会長とともに実行委員のひとりとして参加してきた。日本建築学会の100周年を記念して、日本建築学会の提案によって第一回ISAIAが日本（福岡、京都、東京）で開催（1986年9月）されて26年、隔年定期開催となった第２回（神戸、1998年9月）からは14年となる。この間一貫してアジアをフィールドとしてきた筆者は、第3回（済州島、2000年2月）を除いて、全て出席してきた。この間のISAIAの歴史を振り返りながら、第9回ISAIAについて報告したい。

今回の大会テーマは「建築技術の前進Technological Advancements in Architecture」。第2回以降のテーマを並べてみると、「21世紀のアジア建築」（第2回、神戸、1998年）、「新世紀に向けてのアジア建築の挑戦と役割」（第3回、済州島、2000年）、「建築資源と近代技術」（第4回、重慶、2002年）、「地球環境とアジア建築の多様性」（第5回、松江、2004年）、「A+T:アジア建築の新しい価値」（第6回、大邱、2006年）、「都市再開発と建築創造」（第7回、北京、2008年）、「アジアの見方　未来への秩序と知恵」（第8回、北九州、2010年）となる。それぞれに時代を映してきたように思う。第5回松江大会では実行委員長を務めた。第6回では、「地域固有の価値に根差した建築を目指して：アジア都市計画研究のパラダイムについてTowards an Architecture based on Vernacular Values in the Regions: On Paradigm of Asian Studies for Architecture and Urban Planning,」と題して基調講演を行わせていただいた。

今回の3人の基調講演を聞いても、まず思うのは時代の流れである。「建築技術の前進」と訳したが、かつての底抜けの技術への信頼をもとにした技術の進歩、技術革新といったニュアンスは受けなかった。特に、中国建築学会を代表して講演した、弱冠40歳を超えたばかりの中国建築界のホープと目されるチャン・リーZhang　Li（精華大学教授）による「柔らかな持続性Soft Technology」には新しい中国建築の方向性を見た気がした。彼のプレゼンテーションは、大学キャンパス内に建てられた外国人建築家によるいわゆるエコ・ビルディングを痛烈に批判することによって開始されたのである。若くして巨大なプロジェクトを任されてきたその仕事に中国社会の底力を感じるが、ほんの少し前までの浮ついたバブリー建築の時代は確実に過ぎ去りつつある。チャン・リーの作品は決して洗練されてはいないが、地域文化と技術との融合を目指しているように思えた。韓国のキム・インチョルIn-Cheurl Kim氏による「開かれた空間The Space　Open」も、新技術の展開というより、一つ一つの作品の中に新たな技術の在り方を突き詰めようとする地に足のついた積み重ねを強調しているように思えた。そうした意味では、小堀徹氏(日本設計)の「東京スカイツリー：世界最高構築物への挑戦」はいささか素直すぎたかもしれない。ただ、そのアプローチの技術的積み重ねについての丁寧な説明は二人に共通するところがあり多くの聴衆の共感を得たように思う。

初日は基調講演に続く4分野に分かれてのパネル・ディスカッション（「建築デザインにおける技術」「建設工学におけるITと自動化」「ゼロ・エネルギー建築」「次世代新構造システム」）が行われた。2日目は研究発表が行われた。今回の発表題数は全部で283題、うち日本からの発表台数は167題、日中韓の参加国では最も参加者が多かった。ポスター・セッションは44題のうち、日本から11題の発表があった。いくつかの部屋を覗いたが、いずれも熱心に質疑が行われていた。英語の不得手な発表者が懸命にコミュニケーションを図ろうとする姿には、毎回感じることではあるがISAIAという場の大きな意義を確認することになった。

中国を代表して基調講演を行ったチャン・リー氏は研究発表でもモデレーターを務めるなど大活躍であったが、実に英語がうまい。原稿など用意せず、壇上を右に左に移動しながらのまるでスティーブ・ジョブズさながらの基調講演は圧巻であった。どこで勉強したんだと、いうと、留学経験はなく、中国のインターナショナル・スクールで英語を取得したのだという。今はアメリカの大学でも教鞭をとる。そのチャン・リーが、自分の担当したセッションの日本人発表者の発表をしきりにほめる。英語は問題ではない、研究の水準が問題なのだ、というのである。今のところ、日本建築学会が一歩先んじているのは確かにそうかもしれないが、うかうかしていると日本が取り残される日が来ないとも、限らない。

第一日目（23日）には恒例のISAIA実行委員会が開かれた。第一の議題は、2016年の第10回中国大会のテーマ、開催場所、開催次期である。尖閣問題があり、中国開催について若干危惧していたのであるが、中国から特段の発言はなく、中国開催は当然のスケジュールとして議事は進行した。開催についてはホスト国が決定権をもつのが慣例である。最終決定は中国建築学会に委ねられたが、2016年中国東沿岸部（烟台、青島・・・など）、5～6月開催というおよその合意がなされた。テーマは未定であるが、中国では地方における開発と保存の問題が大きな問題になっているという発言があったのが記憶に残っている。

今回の実行委員会で大きかったのは大韓建築学会からABERRAA（Architectural and Building Engineering Research Association in Asia）なる日中韓のISAIAをアジアに拡大する提案がなされたことである。ABERRAAという名称はともかく、アジアの建築交流を日中韓から広くアジアに拡大することはこれまで建築学会で議論してきており、今回の日本代表団でも話していたところだったから今回の提案はウエルカムであった。そもそも第1回は広くアジアにデレゲーションを出して開催したのである。国際委員会を副会長直属の形に新たに位置づけ直したばかりでもあり、「アジア建築学会」の設立は日本建築学会の国際化に向けての大きな柱になる。

２年に一度集まるだけでなく、恒常的な組織にしていく、さらにアジア全体に拡大していくという提案は、具体的には、①ISAIAの継続拡大を軸に、②JAABEとの連携をベースとし、2年に一度に限定せず、③その時々の共通の課題についてのフォーラム、シンポジウムを開催する。まず、④アジアの都市建築研究のデータ・ベースを構築し、⑤共同研究を展開する、というものである。

いずれも異議なしである。中国建築学会は持ち帰るということであったが、連絡をとりあって構想を煮詰めることとなった。ISAIA20周年となる2016年の第10回中国大会は、第二期ISAIAの出発点となる。

韓国は随分歩いてきたのであるが、光州周辺は初めてであった。最終日のカルチュラル・ツアーに参加して、初秋の光州を楽しんだ。筆巌書院、瀟灑園、楽安邑城、仙巌寺、いずれも一級の文化遺産である。とりわけ観光地化しているとは言え、住民の生活を維持しながらかつての姿を維持する楽安邑城が印象的であった。こうしたツアーもISAIAの楽しみである。

                                                               布野修司（本会副会長、国際委員会委員長、滋賀県立大学）