| | AUGUST 202419The 1970 Osaka Expo, with Kisho Kurokawa's Toshiba IHP and Takara Pavilion designs and Kenzo Tange's Festival Plaza, may have been the best examples of the Metabolist design language.But Maki Focused on Incorporating Humanism Although one of the movement's central ideas was to combine technology and biology, Maki was more concerned with comprehending historic spatial patterns and incorporating them into the design to humanize the new city's unparalleled scale.This is evident in his initiatives like Hillside Terrace, which offer a tangible representation of his career. The Hillside Terrace Apartment Complex in Tokyo was completed in seven phases between 1967 and 1992 and highlighted the architect's notion of progressive development. The design emphasizes the human through the integration of external and internal elements and its scale.Turning Point of His CareerThe architect's other noteworthy projects from this period include the Fujisawa Gymnasium (1980­84), which he saw as a turning point in his career.In the era of megastructures, the architect stood out by taking human considerations into account. Even though he received the Pritzker Prize for developing a unique vocabulary that drew inspiration from his time spent in the West, it particularly recognizes his structures for including people, cultures, and technology. Remembering them means honoring their presence through their work, as is the case with most luminaries. "Over time, I have come to think of the buildings I have designed there as extensions of myself," Maki said in a post about Hillside. Perhaps the best way that his essence endures is via them.Ever a ModernistMaki frequently stated that, as a result of his mid-century studies in the US, he considered himself to be a Modernist. In contrast to many large-scale Modernist buildings, his constructions have a human scale. Maki used several levels of space instead of a single, dominating one to evoke the idea of secluded courtyards and garden areas--elements that are fundamental to Japanese architecture. Since Maki believed that these little, personal places would come together to produce an overall sense of community and harmony, this layout exemplifies his views about the interconnectedness of the parts and the whole.Maki continued to experiment with his fusion of Modernism and Japanese heritage throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He explored the expressive possibilities of metal in his Fujisawa Gymnasium (1984), a vast stadium with a light-colored, airy stainless steel roof that appears to hover above the area. The airiness of the area reminds me of Japanese traditions, even though his exploration of materials and technology in the gymnasium is Modernist. He further investigated the potential of metal in his design for the Wacoal Art Centre (1982­1985) in Tokyo, producing an aluminum exterior with a variety of geometric shapes and textures. His Nippon Conference Centre (1990) in Tokyo, a massive conference center with a ground-level layout meant to feel personal, is evidence of his continued commitment to the human scale. HE CONCENTRATED MORE ON THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNAL FORM
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