{"id":104155,"date":"2024-09-09T15:40:36","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T06:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=104155"},"modified":"2024-11-15T22:09:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T13:09:50","slug":"von-jour-caux-architect-of-otherworldly-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/von-jour-caux-architect-of-otherworldly-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Von Jour Caux: The Architect of Otherworldly Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
“Ah, Barcelona! Olympic Games, Sagrada Familia.” An almost unanimous chant uttered by many older Japanese people (old enough to remember the impact of Barcelona 1992) while making small talk, whenever I say I come from Barcelona. Usually heightened if I answered that in fact, I lived for several years just a couple of blocks away from Gaudi\u2019s magnum opus. Before long, I also learned, much to my amusement, that to the average Japanese person Sagrada Familia is a tongue-in-cheek shorthand for never-ending projects. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, as an architecture enthusiast with a deep fondness for Barcelona\u2019s Art Noveau, I always welcomed warmly this Japanese appreciation. So when I first came across Von Jour Caux (\u68b5\u5bff\u7db1), a Japanese architect often dubbed “the Japanese Gaud\u00ed,”<\/strong> I felt intrigued by the idea that Gaud\u00ed’s influence had transcended cultural boundaries to the point of being reimagined in Japan. I\u2019m often fascinated by the way Japan remixes external influences, so it didn\u2019t take long for me to start tracking Von Jour Caux’s buildings across Tokyo, eager to understand the work of this singular architect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gaud\u00ed\u2019s works have a peculiar resonance in Japan, and homages to his organic forms, mosaics, and playful structures can be found scattered across the urban landscape. The Sagrada Familia, having become a symbol in Japan for something eternally in progress \u2014 I\u2019ll have you know, however, that Sagrada Familia\u2019s completion date has been recently announced for the year 2026 \u2014 is something that could be linked to the Japanese concept of <\/strong>wabi-sabi<\/strong>,<\/em> the beauty of imperfection, a concept which also includes what is incomplete. It\u2019s also an interesting parallel to Japan\u2019s relationship with tradition and modernization, comparable to Gaud\u00ed\u2019s mix of old-world craftsmanship and forward-thinking design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Gaud\u00ed\u2019s influence in Japan seems to be well-documented, Von Jour Caux is a figure who defies easy categorization<\/strong>, standing at a crossroads between fantasy and rebellion and creating structures that playfully reject the conventions of modernism. But despite callbacks to the Catalan genius with the Japanese\u2019s ornamental exuberance, Von Jour Caux has a different philosophical approach. Where Gaud\u00ed\u2019s designs always serve structural and ergonomic purposes, Von Jour Caux\u2019s are decidedly decorative \u2014 his buildings are more like inhabited sculptures<\/strong>, brimming with symbolism and mysticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Von Jour Caux \u2014 the artistic moniker of Toshiro Tanaka<\/a> \u2014 has expressed in interviews that he sees himself as something of a shaman<\/strong>: channeling dreams, mythology, and spiritual energy into his work. His buildings, often filled with surreal mosaics, fantastical sculptures, and esoteric motifs, are a whimsical counterpoint to the sterility of post-war modernist architecture<\/strong>. While Gaud\u00ed was deeply rooted in Catholicism, Von Jour Caux\u2019s inspirations span a broad spectrum, drawing from Jungian psychology, Hinduism, and esoteric Buddhism. He seeks to create a sense of spiritual fluidity in his work, and his architecture becomes a space where dreams and reality overlap<\/strong>, rather than an extension of practical necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n His own chosen name is a representation of these influences with a bit of wordplay<\/strong>. “Von” represents Brahman written in Chinese (\u68b5 Bon), “Jour” can be translated as congratulations or longevity (\u5bff Ju) and “Caux” can be translated as rope (\u7db1 Kou). In a way, the architect has expressed wanting to convey his persona as a medium between two worlds<\/strong>. At the same time, the last two kanji<\/a> form the posthumous buddhist name of his adoptive father as a way to honor his memory. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGaud\u00ed\u2019s Connection to Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Shamanic Architect: Von Jour Caux\u2019s Dreamlike Rebellion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Von Jour Caux\u2019s Artisanal Revival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n