The author of this proposal is well aware of the honor of being invited to participate to this International Competition. In consideration of the magnitude and significance of this exceptional subject, and being conscious of the importance of the aims of this Contest, he is attempting to meet this challenging project with cultural understanding of the past, but with the consciousness of the need to be part of our times and to be architects for the history of the future.
Indeed he participates in this Competition with a profound reverence in respect to mythological Legends and pondered admiration about the inspiring History of the ancient Imperial City of Kyoto and her aristocratic, sophisticated, artistic past, but he also accepts the privilege to participate to this Competition in the genuine effort of pursuing a professional, practical, but daring and totally innovative solution exhorted by the demanding spirit of the next coming century in accordance with the very Title of the Competition itself and its significant guidelines.
This proposal is guided by the consciousness of the importance to find a gentle, spiritual and cultural bridge between the past, the present and the future and it is conceived with the awareness of the need to direct the technological power of our times to our long term advantage. He dares to propose to build the 21st Century "Symbol" of the City Open to the Free Exchange of the World Cultures.
In conceptualizing a Grand Vision to take the 1200 year old city of Kyoto into the next century, as conceived by the City Major Yorikane Masumoto, it is crucial that a deferential and respectful aptitude for the past and a broad foresight and a multilateral perspective for the time to come, is adopted. Extremely delicate issues must be addressed regarding a City which belongs to the culture of Japan, to the history of the world, to the hope of the future.
Kyoto's traditional artistic living habitat, rich in culture, harmony and gentleness, in a grand vision must be carefully directed towards achieving the common good otherwise, as too often has happened in many occasions of the past, the cultural costs of the destruction of ancient traditions, the sociological price of loosing human dignity, the expense of ruining happy habitats for our future generations, together with environmental consequences of disrupting the delicate balance of our planet, will be intolerable not only for Japan but for the entire world.
We believe that "In searching for a new face of Kyoto" we should first draw poetic inspiration from the traditional Kojiki and Nihonnshoki where the mythologic regal legacy of the mirror of Amaterasuohmikami offers precious images rich in myths and legends still alive into the present culture.
In addition to Myths and Legends we should also be guided by history and its relationship with pre-historical facts handed-overed by "The Ancients". History tells us that the Emperor Kammu, in 784 first intended to moved his old capital from Nara (too far away from the sea) to Nagaoka in the province of Yamashiro. The construction of the new city started, but soon after consultations with geo-masters, ascendants, diviners and deities, convinced the Emperor to interrupt all works apparently initiated in a wrong site. The final site selected for his Imperial Palace was chosen between the two Katsuragawa and Kamogawa converging rivers where, in 794, he moved in his new Capital of Peace and Tranquillity: Heian-kyo. Emperor Kammu, modelled its new Imperial city on the old orderly fashion characterized by the city planning of a "more Ancient" Chinese Capital: Ch'ang-an of the Sui dynasty, now Sian.
History, in its reference with the "Ancients", offers fascinating coincidences: Just before the times of the Japanese Emperor Kammu, the Roman scholar Marcus Vitruvio Pollionis, won honors granted by Caesar Augustus, by writing his famous "Ten Books of Architecture" offered by the writer to the Roman Emperor as "Guide Lines for the Founding of a New City". In his book, written 27 years before Christ, Vitruvio theorized that, before embarking into the design of a new city, it was imperative to seek inspiration from the "Ancients". Vitruvio states that in establishing a new settlement, the "Ancients" (just like Emperor Kammu) would first search for a site gently sloped, surrounded by hills, sunny and fertile, provided with clean air, pure water and rich soil. He describes that the "Ancients" selected their sites by thoroughly examining the quality of feathers, hair, skin and livers of all type of local animals and analyzing leafs, flowers and fruits of all local plants. (Book I, chap. IV, page 12). Another extraordinary historic coincidence: Vitruvio also suggested that the first task to be performed after selecting a site, should be the determination of a circular periphery of the city's walls surrounded by natural rivers, possibly not too far away from the sea, considered to be an excellent source of food and the best means to promote commerce. (Book I, chap. IV, page 16).
At her time Heian-kyo was an extra-modern Imperial Capital, she stood for what was lively and new, she was situated on a lovely site and was planned on an enormous scale with the help of the Minister for Home Affairs, Wake-no Kiyomaro. Her Imperial Palace, her Dignitaries' Buildings, her Government Offices, her Assembly Halls and Ceremonial Pavilions, her "special" houses were totally surrounded by walls into a great enclosed compound called "Daidari" provided with a single, grand gate facing South and called Suzaku.
Historically the formula of encircling towns with city-walls has been proven to be a very sound urban concept for a number of important reasons. Indeed until the beginning of last century, this formula was successfully implemented not only in Asia, but also in Europe. Since then, we have begun to destroy the boundaries of our cities, allowing for an indiscriminate overflow of irrational urbanization. These have flooded the surrounding areas without any control, causing the uncontrollable degradation of city's inner habitat and the devastation of its immediate surrounding cultivated fields, vital sources for food, idyllic serenity and physical well-being for the inhabitants.
In relation to the present Kyoto Competition, a totally different, but extremely significant historical reference to "The Ancients", can be extrapolated from the 15th. Century: The "Signoria di Firenze" (the Municipal Government of the present-day) in order to obtain the best possible contribution of ideas and in searching for the "State of the Art" in the aim to construct the largest dome in history, launched the most challenging and rewarding Competition of those times. The Competition was won by the celebrated Italian Renaissance Master, Filippo Brunelleschi because he, yes, deeply studied the up-to-then unsurpassed masterpiece of the Pantheon's dome built by "The Ancient Romans" 1500 years before his time, but then he dared to propose an un-precedented and audacious, yet brilliant double-layered cupola, a gradually self-supporting structure which was entirely built in a relatively short time (1420-1436) without any scaffolding (a technical and structural revolution in construction for his times).
Not only Brunelleschi won the most challenging Competition of the years 1400 but, after more than 500 years his fantastic dome, with its 55 m. in external diameter, remains largest free-span structure produced in history by mankind without the use of temporary scaffoldings and now it still stands as "the Symbol of Florence". Such an artistic and technical achievement will represent for ever a jewel in the history of architecture, in engineering design and in construction methods. With great cultural and practical benefit for both their cities, just like the Pantheon (now approaching the second millennium of existence!) the dome of "Santa Maria del Fiore" is admired by millions and millions of visitors every year as one of the greatest wonders of the world.
In accordance with the previously mentioned refulgent examples offered to us by history, we should -yes- ponder, examine and admire the past, but we must be original, innovative and even "bold" in seeking a new balance between the past and the future. We should not be shy in considering dramatic innovations, both in conceptual design and in construction methods. We should envision a new philosophy in developing and materializing a totally new kind of city infrastructure and adopt un-precedent creative building systems which capitalize on the technology and materials we have at our disposal today. Indeed we should not be scared to incorporate in our future projects, new developments in construction automation; site robotics; demountable, modular, and flexible building systems with the utilization of mobile factories. We should devise creative solutions for personal transportation systems and propose innovative service networks. In a new City, management and maintenance should be entirely computer-aided and robotically controlled.
We must also not shy away from implementing local and global ecological policies, developing new processes for re-generating energy and saving precious resources such as pure water and clean air. Indeed it is conceivable that the discovery of new energy resources will be the most important topic of the near future. Energy will be obtained from the exploitation of solar, wind, and tidal energy, from waste-products and from the development of synthetic fuels. Alternative sources of power will be used, such as air pressure in construction and magnetic fields in transportation. De-salting systems will also be developed that will allow us to purify sea water for agricultural use and for human consumption.
The 21st century is likely to present a general, continuous improvement in economic and social level, together with an unprecedented lengthening of leisure time. Ultra-aging population growth will necessitate the construction of a totally new style of modern environment rich in serenity and happiness with easy access to spiritual symbols such as Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines. Concurrently we should attract young people by creating a challenging habitat full of potential for employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
A City of the future must also be sensitive to the dynamic evolution of human resources. Widespread education and specialization will change the configuration of the work-force from the highest academic level down. This will, for example, result in a decrease in the availability of mid level, experienced manual labor particularly in the construction industry. Considerations must also focus on the inevitable fluctuations in world demography and cultural exchanges.
The fact that these, and other complex factors, will have to be considered when planning for the future of Kyoto for the 21st Century, should not obstruct, but rather direct and enhance the potential for creativity.
Our concept for the Kyoto of the 21st century is called "K 21". The idea is simple, economical and bold. It is inspired from the historic fable of Empress Amaterasuohmikami's (Ama= the heavens, sky; terasu= shine, light, sun; oh= great; mi=majesty; kami= god) born from the left eye of Izanagi. "K 21" will be enlightened by the Goddess's mirror poetic image that re-directs from earth the sun light to the heavens. We propose a new City Infrastructure which will embrace the sun light of the South and will be provided with a symbolic gigantic rotating copper mirror which during the day will slowly reflect in different directions the sun light in a continuous annual sequence representing the everlasting dynamic cosmic laws governing the Universe.
After sunset, the same rotating Amaterasuohmikami's symbolic mirror with its dynamic sequence, will collect the Old Kyoto's colorful night lights to also be reflected on the surface of the " K 21" and then, to be projected towards the heavens.
We propose a totally new urban concept based on the auto-construction of a mega infrastructure which arises separate from and not in conflict with the old city center. The majestic City's Infrastructure we propose will be erected by robotized mobile factories in the area surrounded by the impressive crown of the Eastern, Northern and Western hills. Its foundation may be traced by the City's Officials in the year 2000 along the original 794 North - South axis of Emperor Kammu's Heian-Kyo.
With no environmental profanation and with a minimum of offence in pollution, its circumscribing footing excavation will kindly encircle sweet hills and uncontaminated land. Indeed, its automated construction process will be seen only just as a discreet, new highway road circular work. This will allow land, encompassed by the footing system, to be untouched during and after the construction process. Practically the entire foundation system will be constructed through a self-shaping and self supporting process by which separate robotized mobile factories, working in circles of the same diameter, will produce layers upon layers of circular helical reinforced concrete crowns provided with all necessary inner cavities for all the necessary city's ducts network.
Symbolizing the pure solar image, recalling the shape of an ancient Imperial symbol, representing Japan's distinctive, unmistakable modern national flag, the circular shape for the new city circular foundation as theorized by Vitruvio, will be in perfect harmony with Emperor Kammu's original symmetrical rectangular plan,
Structurally connected to the basic circular footing system described above, a totally innovative city's infrastructure is conceived with a superb, pure, clean and harmonic thin-in section geometry. Such a geometry, derived by certain elementary natural laws, has been carefully selected from different super-stable, doubled curved, space-shapes, generated by solid mathematical functions expressed through very elegant and simple equations.
The skillfully chosen general geometry is an hyperboloid of rotation which is provided with a distinctive beauty in itself. With a well-proportionate cut, marked by an imaginary plan at approx 13 degrees facing South, the final selected shape of the infrastructure allows for the maximum of exposure of the healthy sun's "terasu" to the largest possible part of the City's surface.
Said diagonal gentle cut offers an Amaterasuohmikami's "cosmic-ellipse-opening embracing the sun light with a large structure-stabilizing "halo-ring-beam" which will be anchored to the previously described footing system by means of multi-directional steel cables. The softly tilted ring beam will be also used as the world most fantastic panoramic boulevard which will spectacularly encircle the summit of the new city's infra-structure. The multi-directional cables will also offer structural support to the new land to be urbanized below the top ring beam. Between the inner and the outer anchoring cable network and the double-layered internal core, the living habitat will be free to be developed in due time and in a semi-traditional fashion.
In synthesis: the "K 21" concept provides a method to construct a grandiose, reinforced concrete footing system designed to support a combination metal and concrete (and/or all-metal) superstructure for a city infrastructure provided with the shape of a sliced paraboloid. At ground level this superstructure may reach 3 or more kilometers in diameter and will be provided with variable height (from less than one hundred, up to several hundreds meters depending on the envisioned population foreseeable). The overall wall thickness of such a hyperboloid may vary from 20 to 30 meters.
The above described infrastructure can be also envisioned as a combination of two enormous, co-axial double-layered hyperboloidal "sliced-towers", where the two co-axial layers are connected each-other by means of two parallel "horizontal" special internal transportation network systems. Each one of the two co-axial "sliced-towers" are provided with a large number of internal diagonal tubular cavities that serve also as elevator shafts and which are automatically welded to a peripherical metal skin. Structural road attachments for the two above described horizontal internal transportation systems are connected to the metal skin. A continuous, easy inspectable and easy repairable water, electrical, gas, air conditioning, and sewage network of ducts is assembled inside a large tunnel located between the two "horizontal" transportation systems.
Once the core of this multipurpose infrastructure is completed by the robotized mobile factories according to their computerized design sequence, external and internal multi-directional tension cables are added to offer support to the totally urbanized "new free land" and to offer additional stability to the entire mega-structure. With a great degree of flexibility, said "new free land" will be assembled and will be divided in "parcels" to be to be gradually developed in accordance with traditional city's needs and requirements and will be constructed in accordance with the city planning.
As previously mentioned, both the continuous, circular footing system and the main structure will be constructed through innovative automated construction processes with the utilization of different mobile factories. This allows to the land, encompassed by the footing system, to be untouched during and after the construction process.
Indeed, as required by ancient customs, some appropriate areas and parcels, can easily accommodate the traditional "Kyo-Machi-ya" which will find an old and yet new, contemporary interpretation of the classic two story town houses, provided with the combined functions of shops and houses designed with the customary style of conventional lattice doors at the first floor and the Mushiko windows at the second floor. Even traditional spaces such as "Eel's-den", "tsubo gardens" and family's private storage areas can be built in some prolonged parcels, for the revival of an antique flavor. The special urban fabric offered by "Blind Alleys" may also find an appropriate modern interpretation in order to maintain the close neighborhood relationship necessary to help preventing crimes in a well controlled local social environment.
The new "K 21" will be also provided with a modern Administration and Maintenance Automated Systems. Aging Population Homes and Entertainment Facilities, together with organized Social Work for Pensioned people should find a priority consideration. Community Educational Facilities such as Kindergartens, Nursing Homes, Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Special Facilities for Educational Programs dedicated to Traditional Performing such as Kabuki, Noh, Kyogen, Buyo and Ikebana, based on the Lemoto system, should find new regenerating soil. Design and Production of all expressions of art such as Music, Painting, Sculpting, Pottery and Porcelain, Textile and other Handicraft Educational Facilities, oriented to male and female Fashion, Costume Jewelry, Cosmetics and Perfumes production, should find fertile ground in the new City.
In order to earn again the old position as Country's Cultural Center, we respectfully invite Kyoto Officials to consider this bold new City-Planning concept by which the ancient City of Kyoto and the future "K 21", harmoniously blended in the same natural landscape fabric from which both arose in different times of history, can happily face one another and, together, can meet the impact of the opening of the new millennium.
Indeed we believe that in artistically and selectively restoring all the old chosen structures to be surrounded by manicured gardens as they were envisioned in the original Kyoto, and in contemporary conceiving a totally new development which can rise at a small distance, both the old and the new can co-exist in concert and will find a new source for reciprocal enrichments.
In other words: we respectfully dare to propose a new bold urban
philosophy called "K 21" poetically inspired by the ancient Japanese
Imperial legacy and which, by means of un-precedent innovative mechatronic
construction process, can individually soar as "The New City Open to the
Exchanges of the Culture of the World" in the dawning of the years 2000 and
prosper side by side together with the un-matchable and un-touchable
original treasury of the Ancient City of Kyoto.