Architect Drawings : A Selection of Sketches by World Famous Architects Through History

Yasui, Takeo (1884–1955) Japanese
Nihonbashi Nomura Building, Yasui Architecture & Engineers, Osaka, Japan
Takeo Yasui began his career in architecture in Manchuria, where he was recognized for his style
that infused Japanese architecture with elements from China and the West. Following this experience,
he relocated to the city of Kansai in the western part of Japan. There he worked on several office buildings
in art deco and modernist style. Returning to Japan, he graduated in architecture from the
Imperial University of Tokyo in 1910. At this time, he joined a railway company in southern
Manchuria. Again relocating to Japan in 1919, Yasui established private architectural practice in
1924. 3
Involved in education during his practice, Yasui taught at Waseda University from 1925 to 1935,
and the Kyoto Imperial University from 1933 to 1946. With his active practice, in 1936 he held the
prestigious position of Vice-President of the Architectural Association of Japan.
The series of studies on the opposite page (Figure 7.3) concern interior details for a special dining
room. The elevation, joint sections and corner explorations have been sketched on grid paper. In
units of ten, the grid has been articulated in 100 square components. As a guide, the grid regulates
lines and calculates measurement without a ruler. The outlined elevation, although unfinished, shows
the primary features of an interior wall. The lines are very straight, both following the grid lines and
some so straight they appear to be drawn with a guide. Faintly in the center of the window can be
seen markings to tick off measurements. Although the information presented by the elevation is minimal,
it does provide proportional organization.
The sketches located lower on the page are variations of a detail that connects beams with a column.
They are less rigid in their construction showing the freehand technique. They do not all
adhere to the grid and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Yasui did use the grid to guide the vertical
lines of the column. The sketches have been strewn across the page not all completed to the
same extent. The joint appears to have been expressed by building up layers of wood to celebrate a
meeting of horizontal and vertical elements. Yasui has combined small pieces to create many horizontals
and verticals where their repetition resembles ornament.
Decoration can be viewed as application of unnecessary elements, where ornament may be considered
the expression of a material, detail, or connection. Modernist architects would condemn the
use of unnecessary elements, reveling in the function of the structure. Here Yasui, does not strip
down the point of connection but emphasizes the joining of two materials. Here he was celebrating
the exposed beams and the point of their intersection rather than hiding their relationship.
Concerned with how the pieces fit together Yasui has also studied the joint in section. One can also
see numerous beginnings sketched around the borders of the page. These half thoughts most likely
represent tests, rejected intentions, and new directions in his thought process. These beginnings have
been sketched with pencil, and some lines are reinforced with double strokes. The joint studies use a
combination of perspective and axonometric, allowing Yasui to view in three dimensions.
The theme of the architecture blends traditional methods of woodworking with contemporary
space. It is easy to view where the Arts and Crafts movement found their origins. These details
strongly resemble the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, as he is known to have studied Japanese
architecture.
This sketch emphasizes the span of Yasui’s life and how he bridged into modernist style. The
sketch also conveys the move from traditional understanding of construction and joinery to a period
where the sketch could facilitate the design of new paradigms.
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