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Paul Tulett’s photographic journey highlights Japan’s diverse and refined brutalist ist architecture through unique buildings.
Photographer Paul Tulett puts forward a rare insight into the vast collection of buildings brutalist ism has amassed, through his latest publication Brutalist Japan: A Photographic Tour of Post-War Japanese Architecture. Over the course of five years, Tulett has captured the beauty and tactility of Japan's brutalist confections in a way that boldly meshes the country's traditional craftsmanship with the boldness of post-war architectural styles.
It was the understated presence of the style in Japan that gave Tulett interest in brutalist ism: where refined construction methods, especially in the formwork of timber, impart these concrete buildings with an individual look. The photographer particularly noted how brutalist structures were being neglected or demolished, although they were particularly valuable as works of art and architecture. His book should give interest and encourage debate on preservation of these often misunderstood structures.
From large civic and governmental buildings to small-scale structures such as barber shops and public toilets, the diversity in brutalist ism is quite huge. Notable buildings are the Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium by Kenzo Tange, with its seafaring design, from which so much striking quality develops; there is the Kyoto International Conference Center, which is brutalist and also metabolite style; and lastly, Nago City Hall in Okinawa with its earthy texture dramatically colored by vermillion concrete blocks.
Tulett goes on to explore how brutalist architecture in Okinawa- especially the Kihoku Astronomical Museum-develops a form that portrays ancient traditions and futuristic ideas while exploring just how the region's unique adaptation is achieved. As a photographer, his approach stems from his desire to showcase the richness of Japan's architectural evolution after the war.
Tulett hopes that his work will make both the young generations and architectural enthusiasts cherish and plead for the rescue of brutalist buildings from the destruction that often awaits them. Japan not only shows a detailed account of Japan's architectural history but also celebrates the craftsmanship and cultural nuances that set Japan's brutalist constructions apart from others.
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