If anyone who is Japanese is given a chance to go to Parsons, the school of design in NY, he would notice the drawings on the wall or other playful works in hallways such as stickers on the floor stand out. Surely, that’s what people don’t see at schools in Japan. The fact probably makes many people notice that student’s behavior toward the environment is different in each country and it’s because of the big cultural difference in terms of education.
In Japan, teachers tend to be very strict. They try to fit students into a group and make them look good and identical. Especially, until high school, the education is very strict. For example, in order to raise the image of the school, students are not allowed to dye their hair or they always have to wear their uniform exactly the way it’s decided and sometime even the socks are specified. The typical style of building is that it is made of concrete with small amount of low saturated or cold colors. Therefore, because of pressure from teachers, students have little power to insist and they never think of make the environment creative since the school itself has cold and tough image.
On the other hand, in US, education is more freely done compared to Japan. Because students are from different background, each student has different hair color and there are not as strict rules to be seen fine and similar. The building of the schools also has more friendly and open feeling. For instance, lockers tend to be very colorful. Occasionally, even the small parts such as frame of the door with bright colors make the atmosphere livelier. Students are not afraid to insist their opinions and feel freer to ask for permission to do some activity.
At last, the drawing on the wall gives people a feeling of fun or excited. Also, as a design school, it is good to see student’s ideas and works everywhere in the building. Japan and US have very different style of education but one thing that is clear is the US educational style encourages the students to be more active and make the environment more creative.
I will focus my topic by examining about how architecture can be successful to combining different ideas. This architecture is Diller and Scofidio’s works and it is for the Eyebeam Museum. I am interested in the model which has unusual structure and concept because the museum is for art and technology. This architecture is not realized yet. There is difference between art and technology. The architecture has to be combined with those 2 different ideas. There are stairs in the middle of the building. As one goes up through the building, each floor alters between art and technology. So one can understand clearly, how can art and technology developed. The architectural concept begins with a pliable ribbon that can make 2 faces. And they use colors which is blue for the art space and gray for the technology space. Possibly, blue signifies human’s emotion and gray communicate empty emotion that is technology. But one can see it is easy to understand where is the each space. It can see easy to understand which is production space to one side and presentation space to the other. So one can feel how different between two clearly.
Designing a package or a product related to smoking is getting more difficult and important especially today.
Governments in many countries manage to reduce the number of smokers by restricting a visual advertisement of tobacco. For example, a tobacco package should have “Health Warning” by words or pictures. For example, the package in EU countries must be labeled with both warning sentences (like “Smoking kills” “Tobacco smoke can harm your children”) and a picture associated with bad results occurred by smoking. And these warnings should occupy 30~40% of the package. In Australia, the percentage is 90%. In Japan, the restriction for tobacco package is more moderate. It doesn’t have to have a picture for warning. It related to the fact that The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan is not responsible for smoking problem, but Department of the Treasury is, which is also the top shareholder of Japan Tobacco Inc. The money issue is more involved in smoking problem in Japan.
Also, most major cities provide some kind of regulation on smoking in public. It’s not surprising to prohibit smoking in public buildings, restaurants or cafés. In Tokyo, Japan, even smoking in the street is not permitted in some area. According to this serious situation for smoking, it seems that ashtrays in public are beginning to look like a part of surrounding environment. The picture is of an ashtray in the street in NY. It doesn’t look like an ashtray but some architectural stuff. It has just little two holes. So people don’t have to see dirty cigarette butt and smoke doesn’t spread. It’s important to contrive ways for smoker and non-smoker to live comfortable as well as regulate smoking.
Designing a tobacco package or a public ashtray is of course for protecting people’s health or keeping the city clean, but also they are the devices for the governments of each countries or cities to show and appeal how serious they wrestle with smoking problem.
Murakami Takashi is the one of famous Japanese pop artist. His works are inspired by ukiyoe print and otaku culture. It is the Japanese original culture. He mixed them and flat element like Japanese paint. Especially the animation and figure of pretty girl are famous as his work. He is accepted Japanese people now. However, when he published his first work, they did not receive. They said the idea is really old and his way to think about otaku culture is not acceptable. And also one man said I do not like his idea and his face! He is too ugly. So he could not succeed at the first time. But, the people from all over the world thought his works had originality. He analyzed “the people from over sea are amused at his work. They do not have any information about otaku culture. So if I told them just the key point, they thing it is the otaku culture. And this key point is bad point for otaku people so they do not think his work is good. ” and now Japanese people are getting acceptable now. I think his works has really originality world. I like it because I have never seen such a things before. I have no idea about otaku culture same as the people from over sea. So, these are very new for me.
People want new sight but also keep traditional buildings in their city. How do architects solve this problem? There is a good example in N.Y. It is the store of COMME des GARÇONS built by Future Systems in 1998. The Chelsea area where the store is located is surrounded by many galleries.
They didn’t destroy the exterior of the old building and utilize it to the store effectively. Its exterior is made by old bricks and they didn’t change except for the entrance. The entrance and interior are totally new. They are very futuristic and attractive so it might surprise people who are walking through the front of this store but it works effective way because of the area this store is located is Chelsea. There are many art pieces in the windows which attract people. In order to give the strong impressions to people, the contrast of old bricks exterior and futuristic interior woks well. For the company, the building is not just a space they sell their products, but they also use it as an advertising tool. For designers especially fashion designers, their stores are pavilions for their exhibitions. COMME des GARÇONS always makes people surprise because of their way to express their creation. So this building has a big part of their creation because it makes people surprise.
In N.Y. there are a lot of buildings built more than 100 years ago. Some people want to keep the atmosphere itself, not complete building and interior because people care about sight so they made success to keep a balance between the needs of people who want to keep city sight, their client and make the Architecture unique.
In the USA, the packages are very colorful. Almost all packages seem that they were made under the concept of playfulness. When I took a look at pharmacy, variety store, supermarket, the displays were filled with rainbows. I observed the products and I liked the shampoo packages for kids. It was colorful, and the shape of the container was designed uniquely and playfully. On the label, there were lovable illustrations of baby animals, and some original characters. This is one of my favorite things about the USA, and this is where the things that I feel the differences between the USA and Japan. Of course there are colorful packages in Japan too, but most of the time these packages and products are for kids and teens.
Then what about for adults?A big difference has shown up in cosmetic packages. Cosmetics are for adult women, especially who are around 20 to 30 years old. In Japan, the products that have target like these people tend to create a high-class atmosphere, even if the product is relatively cheap. It might be using a glass container, or using silky paper for the box. I see a lot of white, navy, beige and gold; the colors that make people feel calm. These Japanese industries treasure the concept of “high-class” and “beauty”.
In the USA, the products for the adult women had packages with a lot of bright colors. Sometimes they have interesting and amusing images, or playful logos. Most of the containers were made of colored plastics, which look cheaper than glass or silky paper. However the appearance was more fancy and catchy.
Even though they have same targets, there are different approaches in different countries. It is very intriguing that each countries’ characteristics appear strongly on package!
There are products that have either aspect of the art piece or the designed one. Although the making process is quite similar there is definite difference between them. An art piece as a product has unique shape, strong visual impact, and deeper concept beyond a piece. Artists think more about how their works could follow the inspiration and speak by itself. On the other hand designers think more about actual use of the product: how, what, why, when, who, or where. To make the product functional, overall shape might be not attractive; there is no surprise in a way. A designed product should be pragmatic because it is used by ordinary people in daily life.
Of course, there are many products that exist, which are well balanced. For example, the works of Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor who is famous for the lamps and furniture, could be both. His works are often regarded as designed pieces because they are mass-produced and simplified. But they also have artistic aspect in terms of the shape and the way of using material.
Alessi, the Italian production, might be one of the examples that could be the solution of this issue, as their products are filled with playfulness, and they are functional enough to use. They are so attractive that people will buy them even if it is not so functional like the others.
