Some Ideas on Living in London and Tokyo

Ryue Nishizawa

"A fundamental change is currently taking place in society: for the first time, half the world's population lives in urban areas. In this context, London and Tokyo provide interesting case studies for investigating the problems raised by living in a continually growing city. By examining the work of Ryue Nishizawa in Tokyo and Stephen Taylor in Lomlon, we may observe that the notion of a progressive homogenization of living conditions in the world's great cities is only an apparent phenomenon. The profound cultural differences that exist between these centres - reflecting different interpretations of the idea of proximity, privacy, and the relationship between inhabitants - inevitably inform the development of their projects and, consequently, the ways in which a community lives together. Taylor and Nishizawa have developed new ideas for living born of their respective cultures. Their...