Winning Entries of the Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition 2014

摘要

A city must be attractive. A city's attractiveness derives, for the most part, from the architecture that gives it character. In the past, the city's political and financial buildings - the palace, governmental buildings, shrines, temples, churches, plazas, and chamber of commerce - took that role. Such architecture made its residents proud to live in that city. The architecture became a symbol, gave distinction to the city, and became that city's measure. At times, it became, to the contrary, an intimidating symbol of authority for the residents. Contemporary architecture no longer defines a city's character or serves as its measure. Emphasis is given instead to the architecture's own functionality and rationality. The symbolic character of architecture, this is to say, has been lost. A city's residents, nevertheless, still need symbols, do they not? Not intimidating symbols of authority, but symbols loved by the city's people. It can be either a public building or a private building. In Japan of the 20th century, there are examples of an elementary school becoming a city symbol loved by residents. Knowing that in education there is power to change a nation, the city's people invested their hopes in their local elementary school. A city symbol cannot be created as a conscious aim. Rather, it must be fostered by the city's people.