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The National Art Center, Tokyo Exhibition - Builtduring the epic modern period of the 1920s to the 1970s

The most recent exhibition of The National Art Center in Tokyo is a broad, ambitious effort to explore modern architecture, by introducing the radical transformation of residential architecture in the 20th century. Co-curated by Ken Tadashi Oshima, Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington, the show honors an era in which architects questioned the past and developed novel modes of thinking about home and domesticity, ultimately literally changing domesticity itself.

Through an investigation of key figures such as Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this exhibit cleverly outlines the seven main characteristics of a modern house: hygiene, materiality, windows, kitchens, furniture, media, and landscape. Instead of just presenting beautiful examples of architecture, it succeeds in making the history of modern residential architecture accessible and engaging to most people, pointing out that these ideas continue to influence how we live today.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing facets of the exhibition is its focus on how 20th-century architects aimed not only to design beautiful homes, but to change and improve the quality of life through ideas about design. We can think about the evolution of hygiene through the introduction of bathrooms, in response to public hygiene related to design - a significant moment that still informs our homes today. New industries changed the way materials were used. Architects had the ability to mass-produce homes that were lighter, airier, and more efficient with the introduction of steel, glass, and concrete, while also experimenting with traditional techniques using wood and other textiles.

The exhibition does an excellent job of connecting these historical movements forward to today, showing that many ideas which at the time seemed revolutionary are now simply accepted as key aspects of modern living. The section on windows, for example, demonstrates how basement slab construction allowed for the development of large glass openings, altering the boundary between inside and outside freshly, and forming another new relationship between the household and the natural environment itself. The kitchen is discussed as well, in a comparable way, tracing its evolution from a subservient, hidden area to its position at the center of the modern household, reflecting social changes such as the nuclear family and the complexities of family relations and roles.

The exhibition also clearly provides analysis of the function of media in the construction of public understanding of modern housing. It considers how architects used photography, magazines, and exhibitions to communicate their projects and foster social attitudes toward domestic space. The consideration of media is especially timely in light of today’s digital environment, where representations of architecture continue to inform public dialogue and consumer preferences.

The exhibition does more than simply focusing on historical analysis. It provides a multisensory experience that takes visitors into the heart of modern architecture. Through a stunning collection of photographs, models, sketches, and full-scale installations, it offers an up-close perspective of some of the most notable homes of the twentieth century. Original furniture and pieces of houseware, designed by the architects themselves, enhanced the story, showing visitors the broader vision of these extraordinary architects.

Some of the most striking projects that were shared included Fisher House which was designed by Louis Kahn. This work exemplifies the thoughtful use of geometry, materiality, and spatial logic. Kahn states that "the room is the beginning of architecture," and this house is an emblematic work of his. Kahn provided two cubic volumes, intersecting at an angle, to create a poetic dialog between form and function. Lina Bo Bardi's Casa de Vidro in São Paulo, is a completely different, yet equally creative project. This house sits within a lush rainforest on thin pilotis and embodies an openness that blurs the line between inside and outside. The living space was enhanced with Bo Bardi's furniture and collections of folk art showing the warmth that is complimentary and not contrary to modern architecture.

Also noteworthy, Pierre Chareau’s Maison de Verre in Paris offers a stunning demonstration of making domestic space from industrial materials. The translucent glass block walls along with structural steel and exposed mechanical workings establish a mechanical and intimate atmosphere, representing a total reconfiguration of domestic space. Jean Prouvé’s House in Nancy is also interested in prefabrication, combining scrap aluminum panels and steel frames together into a highly efficient contemporary house, embracing a challenging sloped site.

Alvar Aalto’s Muuratsalo Experimental House represents a much more personal speculative architecture, weaving it deeper into the Finnish landscape. Aalto’s courtyard became a testing ground for a wide variety of brick patterns and brick materials, simplifying architecture as a living process with continual change. And like this, Frank Gehry’s own house in Santa Monica resists traditional ideas of home, instead using raw materials and mundane components like chain link fencing and corrugated metal as its structural elements, exemplifying deconstructivist architecture.

A different approach to construction is evident in Kiyonori Kikutake’s Sky House as an early example of Metabolism. The main dwelling area is perched on four piers above the ground, indicating flexibility for future occupation, and remains an exemplar of flexibility, a notion still present in contemporary architectural thinking. Meanwhile, Le Corbusier’s Villa Le Lac indicates the modernist ideal of efficiency and minimalism - framed horizontally by continuous window openings that look out over the lake and mountains beyond it. The landscape is thus transformed from a background object to an active, dynamic part of the interior experience.

The Tugendhat House by Mies van der Rohe is yet another example where open-plan living has been designed to incorporate the innovative use of a steel structure. The glass walls of the house, which are floor-to-ceiling and retractable, allow for the seamless connection to the outdoor space. The fluidity introduced by this design was innovative for the time. Eero Saarinen’s Miller House, featuring sunken conversation pit and interiors by Alexander Girard specifically designed, is just one example of how architecture, interior design, and landscape can be integrated into one harmonious experience.

One of the most important projects of this exhibition is the full-scale realization of Mies van der Rohe's unrealized Row House: a lofty undertaking to give visitors a strong impression of a design never realized in physical form. This groundbreaking project demonstrates a commitment not only to historical fidelity, but in the resurrection and representation of ideas that are lost.

In conclusion, "Living Modernity" is more than an exhibition about architecture; it is an exhibition about living. By showcasing a carefully curated selection of homes, objects, and ideas, it introduces the public to a crucial moment in the history of design. This exhibition is a vitally important experience for anyone interested in architecture, design, and the progression of the home, engaging both educationally and visually with what living modernity can be.