In April 2006, as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, the University of La Salle in Barcelona staged an exhibition called "2000 years of architecture in Japan - from the Izumo Taisha shrine to Toyo Ito." This initiative to promote international exchange between Japan and Spain was generously sponsored by the Consul-General of Japan in Barcelona and coordinated by Yuichi Suzuki, a former TUS graduate, who also provided valuable planning advice.
Mr. Suzuki graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Technology in March 1980, and followed this with a master in Architecture from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Graduate School, completed in March 1983. He then undertook a doctorate course at the Barcelona Polytechnic University,Faculty of Architecture before deciding to stay on in Spain. Ten years ago Mr. Suzuki became the first Japanese national to become an officially certified practicing architect in Spain. Today he runs an architectural business called U1 Architects in the suburbs of Barcelona.
Mr. Suzuki kindly offered to assist with production of the University Guide 2007, for distribution to prospective applications for next year's courses at the Tokyo University of Science. Mr. Suzuki is keen to promote international exchange between Japan and Spain through the medium of architecture.
The Temple of Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece which was listed on the world heritage register just last year, is located in Barcelona. Construction has been underway for over 100 years and it is estimated that it will take another 100 to 200 years before the structure is finally complete.
About the exhibition
The main theme of the exhibition was "2000 years of architecture in Japan", sub-titled "From the Izumo Taisha shrine to the recent work of Toyo Ito." The exhibition provided a fascinating and highly accessible overview of the architectural culture and history of Japan over 2,000 years.
The entrance hall featured a reconstruction of the Haruan traditional tea room designed and built by Mr. Suzuki for the Itadakimasu exhibition at the Barcelona Folk Museum six years ago. In the fourth floor open stairway hall, a display of 30 A0-size panels and slide show provided a general overview of 2,000 years of architectural history in Japan. The event was complemented by an exhibition of models by Toyo Ito, Japan's foremost architect on the world stage, held at the FIRA Barcelona trade fair venue (currently under construction). The keynote address, entitled "From the Izumo Taisha shrine to the recent work of Toyo Ito," was delivered (in Spanish) by Mr. Suzuki.
2006.05.17 Wednesday