Diener & Diener

Last week I went to Tokyo Opera City to see an exhibition from Switzerland entitled "The House and The City : Architecture by Diener & Diener" . The exhibition was extremely impressive.

In many cases, an architectural exhibition focuses not only on architecture but architects. They try to show the character of their design and how they differ form other architects up to their latest project. In the actual building, they also try to realize their own design, by making it different from the surroundings. Because of the architect's trend, their works become a unique place in the town and, in some cases, prove to be controversial

I think Diener & Diener's approach to architecture is completely different from other architects. In the exhibition Diener & Diener showed us a lot of large scale site models. Those models included not only their projects but a lot of the surroundings. I was surprised to see those models, because Diener & Diener didn't try to differentiate their project from the surrounding buildings in those models. At first glance, I couldn't see their works. I guess many other architects did their very best to make their project stand out in the same situation. I could sense some kind of modesty from those.

In the exhibition, Diener & Diener showed us not only models but a lot of photos of their works. In the actual buildings, their works were also not easy to find at a glance, because they fitted in with the surroundings. I could see that they carefully designed their buildings to create good harmony with the surrounding buildings.

Architects always try to create new designs that people have never seen before with avidity and, in many cases, new design means new shape. So architects look for new materials, new structures and new technology. I like new design and I hope for the opportunity to realize a design that people have never seen before. But Diener & Diener have shown me that it is possible to create impressive architecture without a new shape.

In the exhibition, their works looked very interesting, however we can't evaluate architecture properly until see it for ourselves. Now I aspire to see it for myself.