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Editor's Note:
What kind of architecture can "intimately" with literature?
Before, it may have been hard for us to imagine, but now, such a building stands in front of us - the world-class Waseda University, the "Waseda University International Literature Museum" has been completed.
Of course, people prefer to call it the "Haruki Murakami Library".
The library was designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma and recently completed. As a friend of Kengo Kuma and a famous Chinese artist in Japan, Mr. Wang Chuanfeng witnessed the birth and landing of this architectural work through his own perspective.
Today, we will understand the "design secret words" about the Haruki Murakami Library through the perspective of Teacher Wang Chuanfeng's self-described.
About Wang Chuanfeng
▸ Mr. Albert Watson, one of the world's most influential photographers, photographed by Wang Chuanfeng
Wang Chuanfeng was born in Shandong in 1967 and entered the Department of Chinese Painting of the China Academy of Art in 1987 to study flowers and birds.
In 1992, he went to Japan for further study and held his first exhibition in the same year. In 2002, he jointly published the stamp "The Long History" with Ms. Deng Lin, the daughter of Mr. Deng Xiaoping; in 2004, he held a painting exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum (which was also the first art exhibition held by a living artist in the 130 years since the opening of the Tokyo National Museum); in 2007, he published the album "Fish"; in 2008, his work "Fish Water, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" and Hirayama Yuo's painting "Silk Road Series" were also selected as stamps for the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship. In 2015, he published the collection of works "The Art of Yu Xiang Flower Arrangement", and in 2019, he co-published the collection of works "Harmony and Difference" with the famous Japanese architectural designer Kengo Kuma, the Furniture Designer Chen Renyi of Taiwan, and the famous Japanese photography artist Norinobu Shinoyama.
Wang Chuanfeng used the brush and ink of Chinese painting to integrate the techniques of Japanese painting and established his own unique artistic style. "Fish" is a unique personal symbol of Wang Chuanfeng, who has been painting fish for 30 years, and his swimming fish has a strong personal style: geometric silhouettes, pentagonal eyes are sometimes yellow, sometimes red. They swim in different ink colors, from spring to winter, and also swim through Wang Chuanfeng's life.
Origins: A complex for the alma mater
When people come into this world, they always have to do something valuable, and they always have to do something meaningful. A month after the tokyo Olympics, my good friend Kengo Kuma brought you his latest masterpiece, the Haruki Murakami Library, a month after the Tokyo Olympics.
Since I have been friends with Kengo Kuma for many years, I know that he and Haruki Murakami have a good personal relationship, and Murakami Haruki's residence in Minami Aoyama, Tokyo, was designed by him.
However, kengo Kuma was able to build a special library for Haruki Murakami in the pearl of Japan's private universities, Waseda University.
Kengo Kuma told me that Haruki Murakami graduated from Waseda University, and he had a deep affection for his alma mater, so this library was built in Waseda University as a beautiful memorial and as a continuation of the relationship.
I know that as a literary scholar, Haruki Murakami has gained many literary fans, whether in Japan, China, or other countries in the world. His literary works and literary concepts have had a very far-reaching impact on literary lovers around the world.
What an interesting combination of architect and writer! Before and after the completion of the Haruki Murakami Library, a large number of Japanese media made special reports, which aroused everyone's attention.
So, a few days after the completion of the Haruki Murakami Library, I called Kengo Kuma and told him that I wanted to go there and feel it—I was curious about what kind of sparks the architect Kengo Kuma and the literary scholar Haruki Murakami could collide.
So, Kengo Kuma arranged for me to be Mr. Watanabe, the head of the architectural office, who would lead me to visit the long-awaited Haruki Murakami Library.
Up-close: the stillness of architecture, the movement of words
In fact, in the 30 years since I came to Japan, I have not really walked around the Japanese university campus, but I still yearn for the university very much, because it is the highest temple for human beings to absorb knowledge, and it is also an excellent place to achieve ideals and pursue goals in life.
Speaking of Japanese universities, the thing that impressed me the most was the forum exchange at the University of Tokyo last year, and as for whether I came to Waseda University, my memory is a little blurred. Walking along the boulevard and seeing young students walking through the campus, I myself seem to be immersed in the academic and life of Waseda University.
Since I wanted to visit the Haruki Murakami Library, I made a little preparation myself and learned about Haruki Murakami's original intention in establishing this literary museum.
Haruki Murakami is a very dedicated writer whose work has influenced countries around the world, and he himself is a professor of literature at Waseda University. Out of such a love affair with Waseda University, he decided to donate some of his original books, manuscripts, and items to his alma mater.
I also learned that in addition to literature, Haruki Murakami has many hobbies, such as running marathons, listening to music, and doing radio stations. "People have no habits and can't have sex", these little hobbies of Haruki Murakami made me more interested in him.
Approaching the Haruki Murakami Library, I can find that this small white building was originally a very old building, and I thought to myself, the history of this building should be about the same as the history of Waseda University!
From a distance, the first thing that catches the eye is the wooden lines used by Kuma Kengo, the soft color of the log that slowly extends, enveloping the original cold walls, filling the whole building with water-like tenderness.
These lines are both poetic and picturesque, and they contain a sense of flow of musical scores— we seem to listen to the music of literature, follow the symphony of the building, and approach the building step by step.
Walking through the green grass, the sign of the "Waseda University International Literature Museum (Haruki Murakami Library)" came into view, and the beautiful font reminded me of the "poetry and the distance" that has always been asked in literature.
The main entrance of the building is almost close to the church's format, but it is warmer and softer—Kengo Kuma uses several sets of smooth arcs to outline Haruki Murakami's devotion to literature, culture and art. The building is static, but it is dynamic because of the lines, the literature is dynamic, and the words are silent, and between this blend of movement and silence at the entrance, the spiritual qualities of Kengo Kuma and Haruki Murakami are brought into full play.
I can't wait to walk into this building and look forward to a full eye.
The first thing that catches the eye is the warm wooden staircase – it is not an exaggeration to say that it is grand, the width of the staircase is self-evident, and what is even more magnificent is that the staircase is lined with huge bookshelves lined with works by Haruki Murakami. This reminds me of an old Chinese saying, "The mountain of books has a road and a diligent path, and the study of the sea is endlessly arduous", which is not only the truth of reading, but also the philosophy of life.
Slowly dive down, climb up step by step, or stop lingering and immerse yourself in the cause you love, such a staircase architectural form will also be reminiscent of Haruki Murakami's literary creation process and life perception. This may also be kengo Kuma's superiority - he can integrate the temperament of all things, individual experiences into his own architecture, and convey an architect's supreme respect for literature.
In the center of the minus ground floor is a long log table where the public can read Haruki Murakami's works. In fact, the wood that Kengo Kuma chose here is the material he chose when he built the new Tokyo Olympic National Stadium, and the wood is warm and delicate, slightly fragrant, which will naturally bring people a different kind of life experience.
Sitting at this long table, people can get more enlightenment about culture, literature and art - the aftertaste of reading should be long, the charm of life should be long, and the perception of life should be long, perhaps this is the truth that Kuma Kengo hopes to convey to readers through this long table. Turning to the left, you can see that the wall hangs a small object that Haruki Murakami usually loves to play with and use, and on the inside is a small "study" built according to the original study of Haruki Murakami's home, I think, this must be a literary space that the "Murakami fans" who love Haruki Murakami cannot miss!
Circle around the back of the stairs, where a café is quietly hidden. It is said that this café is run by students from Waseda University and is called "Orange Cat", and I think this name is also related to Haruki Murakami, who loves cats!
Speaking of coffee houses, everyone must think of leisure, rest and strong atmosphere of life - under the soft light, whether it is sitting there quietly, looking at the teachers and students coming and going outside the window, or picking up a laptop, letting the inspiration burst out naturally, it is a very happy thing.
In fact, when I first entered the Haruki Murakami Library, I smelled the strong aroma of coffee and saw students sitting at the tables and chairs on both sides of the lounge - I almost thought that this café was open near the entrance to the first floor, but I did not expect that it was quietly hidden next to Haruki Murakami's "study", as if it only took a foot to move between life and leisure.
Climb up the stairs and return to the first floor, on the left side of the wall are all the works created by Haruki Murakami, which is for the "Chronology of Haruki Murakami's Writings". The rest area on the right will always play Haruki Murakami's favorite music, showing a more three-dimensional "Murakami world" for those who come here.
On the second floor, a small radio studio was impressive, and it turned out that Haruki Murakami had used the radio to convey his literary insights before, so Kengo Kuma designed such a normally usable broadcast room for the Haruki Murakami Library, just waiting for someone to come and speak to the world.
Exhibition rooms and academic seminar rooms were also planned on this floor to facilitate the exchange of literature and art, and now the museum is displaying three first drafts of Kengo Kuma's design for the building, as well as the final draft of the final draft. On the third floor is the storage area for books, which not only houses haruki Murakami's works, but also a large collection of research books, newspaper clippings, and so on.
For me personally, nothing attracts me most than the furnishings in the building. Perhaps because I myself have the identity of a painter and like to judge this building from the perspective of aesthetics, color, and composition, it will not be the same as the description of architects and writers.
In my opinion, Kengo Kuma's design is full of small interests, and he arranges every item very reasonably and arranged just right. For example, Kengo Kuma designed wooden ripples like musical scores outside the house, while inside, he carefully placed pianos and Haruki Murakami's own collection of vinyl records, all of which complement the exterior of the building.
Every small furnishing in the building is both simple and beautiful, containing a yearning for an ideal life and a desire for the ultimate state of literature. Walking here, people can experience the whole process of immersion in life, acceptance of life gifts, and gradual improvement of self-perception.
I think of Kengo Kuma himself, he is an architect, but he loves both food and Chinese calligraphy, and we will think that this person is interesting, three-dimensional, and really exists in our lives. I think that when man himself reaches a certain level of creation, he will feel the interconnectedness of all things, and when heaven and man are united, nature can produce a certain materialized beauty--this may be the highest state of integration of architecture, literature, and art.
Haruki Murakami's literature is naturally mature, and Kengo Kuma's architecture is also naturally mature, and the two blend with each other to achieve the play of nature and the transcendence of perfection.
In the language of art, the hearts of architecture and literature communicate and merge with each other.
Meditation: "Goal" and "Get"
In fact, for Waseda University, the Murakami Haruki Library is not big— it is not magnificent or spectacular, but when you walk in it and rest in it, people can feel the quiet and comfortable beauty.
I know that Kengo Kuma put a lot of thought into perfectly presenting such a small building, and he had considered the use of bamboo, the use of paper, and countless ways to finally present this Haruki Murakami Library to us perfectly.
There is also a famous museum near the Haruki Murakami Library called the "Dr. Pingnei Memorial Drama Museum", which was also converted from an old building. After the footsteps of his predecessors, Kengo Kuma was still able to rejuvenate his magic hands, which was not magical.
We see that he added a flowing curve to the façade of the old house, which perfectly blended history and the present; he used countless ingenuities inside the library to bring the perfect balance of literature and architecture. With kengo Kuma's efforts, the century-old building has once again shone brightly, and this is his energy and pattern - tolerance for himself, tolerance for others, tolerance for all things, tolerance for the world, nature can be perfect.
After my visit, Mr. Watanabe, head of Kengo Kuma Architects, introduced me to a professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology who had provided valuable advice on the transformation of the steel frame structure of Haruki Murakami Library.
In the middle of small talk, the professor said: "The Nobel Prize in Literature has been announced again in the past few days, and this time it is very regrettable, and it is not Haruki Murakami." "I think it goes without saying that Haruki Murakami's position in literature is self-explanatory. If there is one person who makes the people of the world hope that he will win the Nobel Prize in Literature, then there should be no second person except Haruki Murakami.
I recalled the faint regret and deep expectation in the professor's words, and deeply felt that many things in the world are not about "getting" itself. After getting it, it may be more empty, and before it is obtained, it may be more inspirational. If this "get" will come sooner or later, when he truly "gets", gets happiness and joy, and accepts the blessings of others, he will also feel the beautiful aftertaste and taste the preciousness of glory.
This realm will make people think of the beauty of the world, the beauty of the future, and the beauty of the world - in this building, I feel the joy of growth, maturity, and achievement. An old building is given a new life, so that the audience can experience the spirit of the master in the building, this is my brother Kengo Kuma's growth, maturity and achievements; to bring so many excellent works to the world, to people who like literature, this is the growth, maturity and achievement of Haruki Murakami; recently, in addition to painting, there is also an autobiography "Traveling in Art" that is about to be published, feeling the beauty of the world between literature and art, which is also my growth, maturity and achievement after visiting this literary museum.
Anyone can have a great goal, which makes us diligent and enterprising. Maybe in another hundred years, two hundred years, this building will still gaze at the students and generations of scholars of Waseda University; maybe in another hundred years, two hundred years, this building will carry greater honors, more joy; maybe in another hundred years, two hundred years, this building can still bring people a variety of feelings, fresh, flowing, thick, eternal... I hope that one day in the future, I can also invite Kengo Kuma to build an art museum in a certain university, so that architecture and art can shine together, and the beauty and expectation will be passed on for a long time.
Wang Chuanfeng
October 20, 2021
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