Matter in the Floating World - Conversations with Leading Japanese Architects and Designers

Aug 2, 2026

Matter in the Floating World presents a series of conversations focused on contemporary Japanese architecture and design, drawing on insights from leading architects and designers. The book frames ideas around material behavior and changing perceptions, including buoyancy, substance and transience, lightness, and the rethinking of boundaries. Essays and interviews explore themes such as absence and presence, weightless surfaces, informational and invisible architecture, materiality and abstraction, and the emergence of new grids, interfaces, and natural logic, anchored in real research trajectories and collaborative support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages256

Reading Time6 h 34 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Acknowledgments

When the World Floats: Material Buoyancy in Contemporary Design

Substance and Transience in Japanese Architecture and Design

Lightness

Expanding Boundaries

The Presence of Absence

Weightless Surfaces

AtMOspHere

Information Architecture

Invisible Architecture

Substance and Abstraction

A Canvas for Light

Evoking the Primal

FLOW

Recoding Materiality

Pattern and Movement

Connective Tissue

The Fluidity of Fabric

Liquid Architecture

eMergenCe

The Emerging Grid

Natural Logic

Soft Interface

Summoning Nature

The Sound of Material

Image Credits

Matter in the Floating World Matter in the Floating World Conversations with Leading Japanese Architectsand Designers Hitoshi Abe · Tadao Ando · Jun Aoki · Masayo Ave · Shigeru Ban · Shuhei Endo · Terunobu Fujimori · Kenya Hara · Eriko Horiki · Sachiko Kodama · Kengo Kuma · Toyo Ito · Oki Sato · Kazuyo Sejima · Reiko Sudo · Takaharu Tezuka · Akira Wakita · Makoto Sei Watanabe · Yasuhiro Yamashita · Tokujin Yoshioka Blaine Brownell Princeton Architectural Press · New York In memory of Tomio Abe, John Hancock, and Allan Walker—who each shared his own special Japan with me Published by Princeton Architectural Press 37 East 7th Street New York, New York 10003 For a free catalog of books, call 1-800-722-6657 [Visit our website at www.papress.com](Visit our website at www.papress.com) © 2011 Princeton Architectural Press All rights reserved Printed and bound in China 14 13 12 11 4 3 2 1 First edition No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews. Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright. Errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions. Editor: Becca Casbon Designer: Paul Wagner Special thanks to: Sara Bader, Nicola Bednarek Brower, Janet Behning, Megan Carey, Carina Cha, Tom Cho, Penny (Yuen Pik) Chu, Russell Fernandez, Pete Fitzpatrick, Jan Haux, Linda Lee, John Myers, Katharine Myers, Dan Simon, Andrew Stepanian, Jennifer Thompson, Joseph Weston, and Deb Wood of Princeton Architectural Press —Kevin C. Lippert, publisher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Brownell, Blaine Erickson, 1970– Matter in the floating world : conversations with leading Japanese architects and designers / Blaine Brownell.— 1st ed. [p. cm](p. cm). ISBN 978-1-56898-996-9 (alk. paper) 1. Architecture—Japan—History—21st century. 2. Design—Japan—History—21st century. 3. Architects—Japan—Interviews. 4. Designers—Japan—Interviews. I. Title. NA1555.6. B76 2011 720.952’09051—dc22 2010029061 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 When the World Floats: Material Buoyancy in Contemporary Design Hiroshi Ota 11 Substance and Transience in Japanese Architecture and Design 19 LigHtness 23 Expanding Boundaries takaharu tezuka 35 The Presence of Absence Kengo Kuma 45 Weightless Surfaces Yasuhiro Yamashita 57 A Small “!” Moment Oki sato 69 Strength in Weakness shigeru Ban 83 AtMOspHere 87 Information Architecture Kenya Hara 99 Invisible Architecture Kazuyo sejima 111 Substance and Abstraction tadao Ando 121 A Canvas for Light eriko Horiki 133 Evoking the Primal terunobu Fujimori 145 FLOW 149 Recoding Materiality Jun Aoki 161 Pattern and Movement Hitoshi Abe 173 Connective Tissue shuhei endo 183 The Fluidity of Fabric reiko sudo 193 Liquid Architecture sachiko Kodama 201 eMergenCe 205 The Emerging Grid toyo ito 217 Natural Logic Makoto sei Watanabe 229 Soft Interface Akira Wakita 239 Summoning Nature tokujin Yoshioka 249 The Sound of Material Masayo Ave 256 Image Credits 6 Acknowledgments Although this book focuses on recent events, it has much earlier origins. In 1977, my father was granted a Fulbright Award to teach at Hiroshima University, and my family accompanied him for a yearlong adventure in Japan. As a secondgrader at the time, the experience made an indelible impression on me, and I have been “drawn east” ever since. My indebtedness thus extends back to this opportunity and all who made it possible. Given the subject matter of this book, it should come as no surprise that I pursued architecture and East Asian studies in college and graduate school, with a couple of summertime stints working and conducting research in Japanese architectural offices. These opportunities were made possible by the Princetonin-Asia program and former sensei and longtime family friend Charles Kite—with suppor

FAQs

What is the central theme of Matter in the Floating World?

The book examines contemporary Japanese architecture and design through conversations that connect design thinking to material behavior, perception, and evolving conceptual boundaries.

Which topics are highlighted across the interviews and essays?

Key topics include material buoyancy, substance and transience, lightness, boundaries, presence and absence, weightless surfaces, information architecture, invisible architecture, and materiality transformed into abstraction.

How does the book acknowledge the author’s personal and research background?

The acknowledgments describe how early experiences in Japan, academic pursuit of architecture and East Asian studies, and multiple Fulbright-related opportunities shaped the author’s research direction and enabled interviews and collaborations.

Aug 2, 2026

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