April 3, 2009

Day 079 : Yokohama

Today I visited the Ferry Terminal in Yokohama by FOA. I guess you could say I had mixed feelings about it. The design intention is quite inspirational and there were some pretty beautiful moments...





On the other hand, there was this nasty signage all over the place - Telling people where to walk, what to touch, to beware of splinters, etc. I guess it is a problem that architects are constantly faced with...what happens to our architecture once the inhabitants take over? I suppose it's an even large problem in Japan where the signage is just so damn good!



My frustration with these obnoxious signs quickly subsided when I turned around to see this family playing on these pipes. It reminded my of the 'play' element in architecture and how it never hurts to have a little fun. The general public really seemed to enjoy this part of the project. Even Grandma and Grandpa started hopping from stump to stump!


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