Penguin Random House Japan-ness in Architecture (The MIT Press)

• One of Japan's leading architects examines notions of Japan-ness as exemplified by key events in Japanese architectural history from the seventh to the twentieth century; essays on buildings and their cultural context.
• In Japan-ness in Architecture, he identifies what is essentially Japanese in architecture from the seventh to the twentieth century
• Japanese architect Arata Isozaki sees buildings not as dead objects but as events that encompass the social and historical context—not to be defined forever by their "everlasting materiality" but as texts to be interpreted and reread continually.
• In the opening essay, Isozaki analyzes the struggles of modern Japanese architects, including himself, to create something uniquely Japanese out of modernity.
•  He then circles back in history to find what he calls Japan-ness in the seventh-century Ise shrine, reconstruction of the twelfth-century Todai-ji Temple, and the seventeenth-century Katsura Imperial Villa.

Penguin Random House is your one-stop source for the best books and gifts. You can filter by categories and sub-categories that interest you—from pop culture to craft & creativity, from health & wellness to journals, stationery & more. We have over 450 themes and categories to help you find your way. Or you can filter by age, grade, award winners, top sellers, on-sale date or coming soon, and even cover color. Featuring titles from all publishing divisions of Penguin Random House and across our distribution clients, Penguin Random House was designed and organized around the themes, occasions, holidays, and categories that are meaningful to you and your customers.