Lounge
April 16, 2015
Series: Reika Ito | Interview with Architect Kumiko Inui (Part 1)
Spiritual healer Reika Ito invites creators active on various stages to her studio, where she reads the energy emitted by individuals.Reika ItoShe combines readings that interpret people's energy with multiple forms of astrology to assess the source of creators' creativity. She reveals past lives directly connected to the present and hidden potential, delving into the charm of the creators themselves, which often remains hidden behind their work.
Text by OPENERSPhotos by Kenta Suzuki
Spiritual Dialogue Vol. 7 | Kumiko Inui
Portraits of Guests 'Seen' by Reika Ito
A Mentor Who Expresses the Wonder of People Living Together (Part 1)
Our guest for the seventh installment is Kumiko Inui, the first female guest in this series. She is an architect who has designed the 'Flower Shop H' (Hibiya Kadan), which opened at the end of last year, as well as the facades for 'Tasaki Ginza Flagship Store,' which reopened on April 23rd, and 'Dior Ginza.' In this interview, she shares the inspiration behind her career path, her commitment to architecture, and her core design philosophy. From this, we delve into her past lives and innate mission.
Her First Design: A Renovation Plan for Her Home in Elementary School
ItoCould you tell us about the episode that led you to become an architect?
InuiActually, I've loved drawing floor plans since I was a child. Not so much blueprints, but more like room layouts.
ItoThat's amazing for a child! What prompted you to start drawing them?
InuiOf course, I didn't suddenly feel like drawing plans (laughs). When I was in elementary school, I really liked a section called 'My Privacy' in the 'Shukan Shincho' magazine my parents subscribed to. It featured houses with various unique features, showing their floor plans and actual photos. Reading it, I started to find houses fascinating – how a certain layout (floor plan) resulted in a particular house (photo). This naturally sparked my interest in designing them myself.
ItoI see. It's quite unusual for a girl to be interested in architectural plans at that age.
InuiI'm the youngest of three siblings, so at the time, I was living in a corner of my older sister's room. That gave me a strong motivation to have a room of my own. I measured the property and presented my parents with a renovation plan, saying, 'If we build a house this size on this land, wouldn't it be better to rebuild?' Of course, the rebuilding plan was rejected, but I ended up getting my own space. I realized that by rearranging the rooms and managing them cleverly, the storage room could become my room. It was like a puzzle, and I drew up plans to present my case...
Architect Kumiko Inui
ItoYou must have really loved it! When I was little, I also used a storage shed as my second home (laughs). I would move things around inside...
InuiIt's a continuation of that, really. I just did it systematically, by drawing up plans.
Spiritual Dialogue Vol. 7 | Kumiko Inui
Considering the 'Expression' of Buildings in Planning
ItoDid you then seriously pursue becoming an architect?
InuiNo, I remembered enjoying drawing plans, but after getting my own room, I completely forgot about architecture. I never considered architecture as a profession; I was more interested in drawing, so I wanted to do something related to art. That's why entering an art university became my goal around junior high school.
ItoAiming for art university in junior high school is quite early.
InuiYes. In junior high, I was in the art club and just drew. But in high school, I attended a preparatory school for art university entrance exams and studied seriously. However, I was good at math and physics in high school, and my teachers told me it would be a waste not to utilize those skills. So, I thought about what path could combine my love for art, math, and physics, and suddenly remembered architecture. While researching, I discovered that Kyoto City University of Arts, which I admired, didn't have an architecture department. So, I moved to Tokyo and began studying architecture at university.
Reika Ito
ItoWhat was the first project you undertook after going independent?
InuiI started with commercial architecture. The first project I showed to the public was 'Louis Vuitton Kochi.' At the time, it was becoming a trend for major brands to create their own facades. I had previously worked at Jun Aoki & Associates before becoming independent, so I received this opportunity through my connection with Aoki. 'Dior Ginza' followed a similar path. I was involved in such projects until around 2004. However, for someone trained in architectural design, working solely on interiors and exteriors can be somewhat frustrating.
ItoIndeed. Architecture begins with planning, doesn't it?
InuiExactly. While I was grateful for the work, it was essentially about modifying the surface of something that already existed.
ItoAh, so you have to work with the existing structure.
InuiThat's right. True architectural design involves considering the structure, the framework. Without engaging with this framework, it's not truly architectural design. However, interior and exterior work lacks this crucial aspect of considering the framework. This inevitably leads to frustration.
Spiritual Dialogue Vol. 7 | Kumiko Inui
The 'Expression' of Apartment Buildings
ItoI hadn't realized that until you mentioned it. When completed, they look like entirely new buildings. But they do start from an existing framework, don't they? It must limit what you truly want to do.
InuiPrecisely. I always felt I wanted to do 'architecture.' Around that time, I was offered the chance to design an apartment building, and I built a small apartment called 'Apartment I.' Since then, I've thankfully received more architectural commissions. Recently, I designed 'Flower Shop H' for Hibiya Kadan, which opened last year. It's a building composed of several small, tall structures clustered together, allowing natural light to create a very bright and open atmosphere.
Apartment I (Photo: ANO DAICI)
ItoThat's incredible, I admire you. I also graduated from a design department and majored in spatial design, but I'm too rough around the edges to draw blueprints (laughs).
InuiRough around the edges? That doesn't sound suitable (laughs). My personality is quite meticulous; I actually enjoy detailed work. 'Apartment I,' for instance, has a different plan for every single unit. While the room size and the elements within are the same, the varying layouts mean that the vertically stacked components differ on each floor.
ItoIt certainly looks like a collection of independent units. You value the originality of each part, and when they come together, they form a unique worldview.
InuiExactly. Each part has a different face. Apartment buildings usually have rows of identical balconies, don't they?
ItoThat's why it doesn't feel like a typical apartment building. Even though it's called an apartment, it defies that conventional notion.
InuiThe atmosphere of apartment buildings can be quite severe... I disliked that, so I wondered if I could break away from it. In architecture, when you plan, the plan inevitably manifests externally. Ultimately, what's inside becomes visible. If you plan well, the building takes on a good expression. So, I always aim to improve the external appearance through skillful planning. I draw my plans while considering how the results of an interesting interior will be reflected externally.
Kumiko Inui
Kumiko Inui
Architect
Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1969. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Architecture. Completed graduate studies at Yale University School of Architecture. After working at Jun Aoki & Associates, established Kumiko Inui Architects in 2000. Since 2009, has held part-time lecturer positions at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts, Waseda University Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the University of Kyoto Institute of Technology. Major works include 'Louis Vuitton Kochi,' 'Dior Ginza,' 'Apartment I,' 'Flower Shop H,' and 'Tasaki Ginza.'
Reika Ito
Representative Director, Divine Co., Ltd. / Spiritual Healer
After working in product planning, advertising, and corporate planning at an accessories company, she began her career as a lightworker, channeling messages from the spiritual realm and reading the subconscious. Depending on the client's needs, she also offers healing, hypnotherapy, and destiny readings that combine multiple forms of astrology. She holds individual sessions and full moon & new moon workshops in Jiyugaoka. Her books include 'Synchronicity,' 'Destiny Improvement Techniques,' and 'Lucky Business Feng Shui Manual.' www.divine-msg.com