• Journal of architectural history
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.7-17
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• 2014

This paper aims at researching the cave concept of the Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori and the result could be summarised as follows. First, a cave is Fujimori's only theme related to the interior space. He set some design guidelines for practice concerning openings of the wall and finishing materials of the interior, following the two major characteristics of a cave: 'comfortability' and 'homogeneity in material'. And 'fire' was also the premise in the cave as a 'spirit' of the space. Second, Fujimori applied the concrete guidelines to Tanpopo House (1994~95), which had in fact borne the ideas. Yakisugi House (2005~07) that took the cave as its design theme showed the transition of his cave concept, from closedness to openness. Third, though his cave concept might deserve the criticism that it is inclined to 'image' rather than 'essence', it illustrates that he seeks after an archetype of human dwelling before the purity of the original space was tarnished with rationality and abstraction. And the cave idea allows the seemingly contradictory 'sachlich' and 'surrealistic' features to coexist. Summing up, Fujimori's cave concept proves that his architecture is a rejection of the Cartesian modernist ideal and the contemporary architects' desire for dematerialisation. In a fundamental level, however, it is a result of his strategic choice induced by his own primary principle that his building must not be similar to any styles in history or any other architects' works in the world.