ONE ACRE

63 Pages·2014·10.1 MB·English

40m
BY: RENEE REDER
THE EFFERVESCENT VOID CITY
dIRECToR: SARAh whITINg
THE EFFERVESCENT VOID CITY
AbSTRACT Effervescent Void City exploits the underground to
increase density, both accommodating the rapidly
In Tokyo, where the cost of one acre of land is $7.8 growing population while preserving the urban
billion and the urban population has grown by about fabric that makes Tokyo unique. The Effervescent
100,000 per year, urban densification is a necessary Void City also includes large-scale programs like
but pricey reality. The issue is not new; overcrowding sporting facilities and auditoriums, that don’t fit into
is a problem that has dominated urban visions in Tokyo’s tight existing fabric.
postwar Japan. The current mode of subdividing
land, caused by Tokyo’s high inheritance tax, has by embedding such super-scale programs in the
produced smaller and smaller plots, each of which underground, a contextual smaller scale urbanism is
has been maxed out, based on the city’s fAR maintained above. Instead of privileging the above
restrictions. Recent revisions to property laws have or below ground, the project transitions between
introduced the possibility of purchasing air rights, both terrains by making the void an equal player
which has encouraged developers to clear Tokyo’s to the mass. when combined, the project increases
distinctive small-scale urbanism, replacing it with a density (and openness) by merging the above and
landscape of tall towers. below ground, formal horizontality and verticality
(as typified in towers and mat buildings), small
The solution to this de-Tokyoism lies in the city’s and large scale programs. It is a model of radical
deep Underground Utilization law, enacted in 2001, contextualism that will shape the future of Tokyo.
which established subterranean rights and allows

owners to build to a depth of 40 meters below HOUSTON TEXAS
ground. As a new model of urban densification, the mAY 2014
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE EFFERVESCENT VOID CITY
RENEE REdER
A ThESIS pRoJECT TAKES A VIllAgE In no particular order, thank you to my fellow thesis students and
other students at the RSA past and present, especially Nimet
Thank you to the many people that have made this thesis Anwar, maria batista, Alicia hergenroeder, Alex hohman, and
project possible. I would like to first extend a thank you to Sarah Elizabeth marrin.
whiting, my advisor and dean of the school for her willingness
to take me on as a thesis student and giving her time so freely— Thank you to my helpers not only for their hard work but for their
in the summer, throughout the semester, and even the night friendships. To william Trotty, who showed incredible devotion to
before my presentation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge the project throughout the process including the day of pencils
of architecture, your criticisms, and questioning many of my down and also whose help on presentation day was so valuable
assumptions along the way but giving me the freedom to take and generous. To Samuel biroscak for your involvement, your
risks and explore my interests. humor, and help in many ways that is so much appreciated. And
especially to Amanda Crawley for treating the project as if it
Thank you to Scott Colman for all your hard work and critique was your own, your moral and design support, and working so
throughout prethesis and thesis. To Yasufumi Nakamori whose tirelessly from florida up until the very last minute.
shared love of learning about all things Japanese helped me
find nuggets of research to inspire this thesis. A special thank To my family, my mom, grandma, uncle, and sister for their belief
you to Alan and pat fleishacker for your sweetness and all the in me even at the hardest junctures. Your support of me pursuing
support at reviews over the years, outside of school, and whose what I like most in architecture is so important. To Jeri for
encouragement for thesis was so crucial to finishing. Thank you to supporting me in ways that weren’t always visible. And finally to
Tanya dominguez and Kyle henricks for all your assistance and to Tao—one of the most wonderful people I know. I really could not
all the faculty and staff of the RSA. have done this without having you by my side.
CONTENTS
10 RESEARCH ON TOKYO
poSTwAR VISIoNS
CURRENT dENSIfICATIoN
$7.8 bIllIoN/ACRE URbANISm
38 A NEW URBAN FRAMEWORK
URbAN VISIoN
TowARdS RAdICAl CoNTEXTUAlISm
58 A SITE FOR THE CITY
NAgATACho ToKYo
EXpERIENCINg lIfE IN ThE CITY
102 THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
CoNClUSIoN
106 APPENDIX
pRESENTATIoN
CITATIoNS
EXTERIOR NIGHT VIEW FIG 43
1100 1111
RESEARCH ON TOKYO
A hISToRY of dENSITY
VIEW OF TOKYO, 1945 UNKNowN phoTogRAphER
1122 1133
POSTWAR VISIONS FOR AN EXPANDING TOKYO
dENSITY IN ToKYo IS NoT A NEw ISSUE component of the Japanese city can be tied back to of Tokyo bay as a site for 10 million people. fertile ground for exploration of what the city could
some of the most traditional architecture in Japan, Tange’s plan represents one method for increasing be today and in the future.
following the end of world war II, Tokyo faced the epitomized by the Sengu of Ise Shrine. density in the city: horizontal expansion (Fig. 2).
difficult task of rebuilding its heavily destroyed city. In comparison, the model of vertical expansion is
65% of its residences were wiped out and as a result, while the metabolists took on issues and ideas represented by several projects, particularly Arata
five of the original seven million occupants left the raised by modernism, it was a signiicant departure Isozaki’s Clusters in the Air (1962) which pictured
city or were killed during the war.1 from western architecture and urbanist visions. towers extending above the city (Fig. 2).
projects ranging from the Ocean City (1960) of
As Tokyo sought to rebuild and accommodate a Kiyonori Kikutake to Toward Group Form (1960) of but towers were not the only possibility proposed
returning and increasing population, the role of fumihiko maki looked at the city as a new project for for vertical expansion: a prewar Depthscraper (1931)
architecture and urban planning was never more Tokyo and for all of Japan. from Everyday Science and Mechanics magazine
crucial. In the postwar period, several architects envisioned clearing the ground and pushing the
emerged whose mostly unrealized proposals URbAN EXpANSIoN of ToKYo tower underground (Fig. 2). 3 Since the effects
addressed the ever-expanding city (Fig. 1). of earthquakes are minimized underground, the
In an introduction to Kenzo Tange’s Plan for Tokyo Depthscraper was touted as a viable solution. In
A 1960 manifesto published by the metabolists, a (1960) published in Japan Architect in 1961, the addition, the project was purported to use an often
certain group of these visionaries, acknowledged editor describes the growth of Tokyo over those untapped space in the city: the vast underground.
the future of the city required new solutions. Key to fifteen years as beyond any estimation, a situation
their inventions were vital and molecular processes which “must be seen to be believed .”2 If we take the challenge articulated by Japan
interpreted architecturally and urbanistically as well Architect in 1961, whereby the visionary planners
as the incorporation organic growth and change The Plan for Tokyo called for the reconstruction must become more practical and the more practical
over time in the city. Change as an important of Tokyo and simultaneously, the reappropriation planners must become visionary,4 Tokyo remains a
14 POSTWAR URBAN MODElS 15
WAll CITY 1959 AGRICUlTURAl CITY 1960 HElIX CITY 1961
KISho KURoKAwA KISho KURoKAwA KISho KURoKAwA
CAPSUlE TOWER 1972 OCEAN CITY 1960 MARINE CITY 1963
KISho KURoKAwA KIYoNoRI KIKUTAKE KIYoNoRI KIKUTAKE
ClUSTERS IN THE AIR 1962 DEPTHSCRAPER 1931 PlAN FOR TOKYO 1960
ARATA ISozAKI EVEryDAy SCiEnCE KENzo TANgE
AnD MEChAniCS
Fig. 1 Urban models
16 HISTORICAl MODElS OF DENSITY FOR TOKYO 1177
VERTICAl EXpANSIoN
DEPTHSCRAPER, 1931, EVEryDAy SCiEnCE AnD MEChAniCS
HORIZONTAl EXpANSIoN
PlAN FOR TOKYO, 1960, KENzo TANgE
VERTICAl EXpANSIoN
ClUSTERS IN THE AIR, 1962, ARATA ISozAKI
Fig. 2 Urban models of Expansion
1188 1199
CURRENT DENSIFICATION TRENDS IN TOKYO
ThE CITY IS REAChINg ITS lImITS a density of 4,300 people per kilometer (Fig. 3). TRANSpoRTATIoN IN ThE hoRIzoNTAllY these cars is insufficient: many streets are still one-
These statistics indicate the current model of growth EXpANdINg CITY way roads tightly winding through densely packed
Tokyo, one of 26 megacities in the world, is home for Tokyo is horizontal expansion. despite the time- neighborhoods, made to favor pedestrians. but even
to 37 million occupants. Compare that population based building limits system, the free-for-all in the Tokyo’s population continues to grow, fueled today if the infrastructure was severely altered, parking is
to london which is ranked #18 in the world: Tokyo aftermath of world war II pushed the city towards not as much by the birth rate, but instead by the still a major problem. The cost of a parking space
has the largest population of any metropolitan area. a model of owner-occupied land. This only served move of people from rural areas to the urban areas. is often more than an apartment: the average cost
Simultaneously, the population has grown over time to fuel further expansion and led to a landscape of but in Tokyo, there is little space to expand further is $744.00 per month, placing Tokyo as the most
and so too have the boundaries of the city. A time- diverse, mixed-use programs. outwards: the average commute is 56 minutes and is expensive in the world, only second to hong Kong
based system of building limits was introduced as often uncomfortable, with train cars completely filled which is $1 more per month (Fig. 7-8).11 In fact, to
part of the 1919 City planning law, meant to mitigate Yet, much of the reason that Tokyo has persisted and oshiya (“pushers”) making sure everyone gets buy a car, applicants need to complete various
unplanned development and bring some control in this horizontal mode of expansion is tied to safely packed in the cars.8 Today, almost 57 percent forms, including one to prove they already own a
to subdivisions. The law revolved around creating restrictions. Japanese zoning laws were meant to of all transportation in Tokyo is done by trains or parking space. A study by Van der Architects on one
road infrastructure which would allow the buildable control building, particularly in residential areas. buses, with 90% of commuters using the rail.9 8.7 small property found that a parking facility was more
limits to adjust accordingly, similarly to the german Since their inception in 1970, these laws led to a million people use the metro system daily and the profitable than an apartment complex (Fig. 9).12
bebauungs-plan.5 lower skyline than other comparable metropolises busiest line, the Tozai line, is at a staggering 199%
capacity (Fig. 4-6). Even New York can’t top those we must revisit Tokyo’s norm for building, the
The boundaries of Tokyo are significant: its large Rather than having a zoning system which restricts numbers: the maximum capacity is 103%, which is horizontal model of expansion. A vertical mode of
population is spread over an even larger area— usage, Japanese laws have instead relied on height still more comfortable than the m line, Tokyo metro’s building can accommodate more people, services,
7,408 square kilometers. london, once used as a as a limiting factor. Thus, the fAR of Tokyo is an least busy line, at a capacity of 159%.10 and businesses in Tokyo. but is turning Tokyo into
comparison to Tokyo by Tange in his Plan for Tokyo, average of 4 compared with a city like New York the next New York City the right solution?
is both traditional and sprawled. while london that boasts an average fAR of 10-15.7 Trends are Critics may point out what might seem like the
may be ranked #18 in the world, it has a density of changing but much of the city has remarkably obvious solution—why don’t people just drive their
5,300 people per square kilometer while Tokyo has remained a tight-knit village. cars instead? The infrastructure for supporting