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Katsura Villa: Space and Form
From the dust jacket:
Katsura Villa is undoubtedly the most constant object of study and allure in the modernist movement of Japanese architecture. Spanning the lifetimes of two imperial princes, the Katsura palace and environs were erected through the early and mid 1600s. Having emerged at the crossroads of two great styles in the history of Japanese architecture, Katsura is a monumental mixture of design types, a complex web of textures intermingled over space and time.
Architect Kenzo Tange and photographer Yasuhiro Ishimoto prepared their 1960 book on Katsura according to modernist aesthetics of the time. Their work abounded in the Mondrianesque patterns of the palace, avoiding the curved lines and details considered spurious ornamentation by the modernists. In the current volume, Ishimoto once again records Katsura, but with a newer, broader vision based on architect Isozaki’s reconsideration of the villa. Nearly two hundred pages of exquisite color photographs and detailed structural sketches hint at the timeless mystique of this marvelous villa.
Over 200 illustrations, 192 in color
Katsura Villa is undoubtedly the most constant object of study and allure in the modernist movement of Japanese architecture. Spanning the lifetimes of two imperial princes, the Katsura palace and environs were erected through the early and mid 1600s. Having emerged at the crossroads of two great styles in the history of Japanese architecture, Katsura is a monumental mixture of design types, a complex web of textures intermingled over space and time.
Architect Kenzo Tange and photographer Yasuhiro Ishimoto prepared their 1960 book on Katsura according to modernist aesthetics of the time. Their work abounded in the Mondrianesque patterns of the palace, avoiding the curved lines and details considered spurious ornamentation by the modernists. In the current volume, Ishimoto once again records Katsura, but with a newer, broader vision based on architect Isozaki’s reconsideration of the villa. Nearly two hundred pages of exquisite color photographs and detailed structural sketches hint at the timeless mystique of this marvelous villa.
Over 200 illustrations, 192 in color
267 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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July 26, 2016
First, this book is sometimes referred to using the title shown on the jacket, Katsura Villa: The Ambiguity of Its Space. Katsura Villa: Space and Form appears on the title page of the book.
This book is a very handsome, large-format, cloth-bound hardcover. The quality is excellent. As is implied by the description, the primary focus of this work is the pictorial coverage of Katsura. The photos are glorious, generally very large, and they show a great range of scale. There are a number of isometric drawings showing various features of the buildings. Near the end of the book is a section containing a few large plans and elevations. If you’re looking for large drawings of Katsura, Katsura: A Princely Retreat might be worth a look; it contains several, including sections. Also near the end of the book is a section with image captions.
I believe that as least part of this book has been reprinted as Katsura: Imperial Villa.
This book is a very handsome, large-format, cloth-bound hardcover. The quality is excellent. As is implied by the description, the primary focus of this work is the pictorial coverage of Katsura. The photos are glorious, generally very large, and they show a great range of scale. There are a number of isometric drawings showing various features of the buildings. Near the end of the book is a section containing a few large plans and elevations. If you’re looking for large drawings of Katsura, Katsura: A Princely Retreat might be worth a look; it contains several, including sections. Also near the end of the book is a section with image captions.
I believe that as least part of this book has been reprinted as Katsura: Imperial Villa.
Displaying 1 of 1 review