After the Crash: Architecture in Post-Bubble Japan

by Thomas Daniell, Hitoshi Abe (Foreword), Ari Seligmann (Afterword)

In the late 1980s, Japan was awash in seemingly unlimited wealth and rising toward what would be the peak of its modern economic success, power, and influence. In 1991 the same lethal combination of risky loans, inflated stocks, and real estate speculation that created this "bubble economy" caused it to burst, plunging the country into its worst recession since World War II. New Zealand-born architect Thomas Daniell arrived in Japan at the dawn of this turbulent decade. After the Crash is an anthology of essays that draw on firsthand observations of the built environment and architectural culture that emerged from the economically sober post-bubble period of the 1990s. Daniell uses projects and installations by architects such as Atelier Bow Wow, Toyo Ito, and the metabolists to illustrate the new relationships forged, most of necessity, between architecture and society in Japan.

Genres: Architecture

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2008

Reviews

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

This book is a incredible view over Japanese architecture, and more, is a panorama over Japanese culture, social standards and more and more.
As it is said in the end of the book this collections of essays together form a view of the complexity of the architecture. Is a great book to understand what it is happening inside that tiny little confuse and fascinating country!

The only bad thing about this book it's its lack of photos which made me me constantly on my computer to search for what the author was talking about. And more: the photos in there are all black and white, so they lose a bit of it content.

I truly recommend this book to all Japanese enthusiastic who want to know more about the Japanese design, city and logic.

I borrowed this book from my professor and now I absolutely need to own it for further reference: this book is full with them.