本展は大野美代子氏のキャリアにおいて、椅子や家具のデザインに始まり、生活環境をつくり、都市の中に、時には大自然との対話の中にその身体的感覚を繋いで実現した橋梁デザインに焦点を当てています。
橋梁を土木事業の範疇ととらえると、デザインという概念から程遠い感じがしますが、世界に目を向けてみると、例えばローマ時代の水道橋のように、デザイン含めて歴史的価値が際立っている事例が数多く存在します。日本においても歴史的遺産は多数ありますが、高度成長期以降長らくデザインという視点が希薄だったようで、大野美代子氏の登場は時代の要請であったように思います。
大野氏が初めて手掛けた橋は、1977年に竣工した板橋の『蓮根歩道橋』です。我が家から車で15分の場所にあり、改めて欄干に凭れ、手摺を握り、橋上でベンチに腰掛け春風に触れてみました。デザインするきっかけは、橋にもデザイナーの協力が必要と考えた首都高速道路公団のエンジニアとの出会いだったそうです。「ベンチを置いた橋」というキャッチフレーズは今でもとても新鮮な響きを持ち、公共空間のインテリアというコンセプトを際立たせています。
もう一つ、思い出深いのが横浜駅東口からMM21地区へのゲートウェイである『はまみらいウォーク』です。この橋は私が設計を担当していた横浜の日産自動車本社ビルの内部を貫通する通路に直接つながる重要なルートとして位置づけられていたからです。作品集の中で「近未来の解放感」というキャッチフレーズが添えられていますが、曲線で構成された個性的なデザインをどのようにしたら違和感なく受け止められるか、その接続部のデザインは難題でした。大野氏は作品集の中で、「・・どうなることかと心配したが、できあがってみると両者が風景として違和感なくつながり、ほっとしている。」と書かれています。直接お話しさせていただく機会はありませんでしたが、会話が成り立っていたことを知り、大変安堵しています。
本展は公益財団法人 竹中育英会の主催です。翌年の年間の企画を審議するギャラリーエークワッドの展示専門委員会においても、また育英会の文化芸術事業選定委員会においても委員の先生方の関心は高く、満場一致でこの企画が承認されています。
本展の開催にあたり、多くの方々に多大なるご尽力をいただきました。心より感謝申し上げます。
This exhibition highlights the bridges designed by Miyoko Ohno. She started her career in designing chairs and other furniture. Her activities extended to create living environment and then to design bridges in the cities as well as in the nature through dialogue with the environment. In the process she incorporated physical sensations to the structure.
Bridges seem to be far from design when viewed in the category of civil engineering. However, we can historically find many design values in bridges in the world as exemplified by Roman raised aqueducts. Though Japan also has many historical assets, perspective of design in civil engineering was not very much pronounced after the high economic growth period. Arrival of Miyoko Ohno seems to me the needs of the time.
The first bridge Ohno designed is Hasune Footbridge completed in 1977. It is located 15-minute drive away from my house. In developing an idea of the exhibition, I touched and held handrails and sat on a bench on the bridge in the spring breeze. I learned that she came to design the bridge through her encounter with an engineer of Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation who believed in collaboration with a designer in constructing bridges. Headline of “bridge with benches” still sounds fresh and accentuates the concept of public space interior design she promoted. It is very important in the history of bridge designs to have Ohno who has sensitivity and compassion to the users of public space.
Another bridge I have a keen memory of is Hamamirai Walk, a gateway from East Gate of Yokohama Station to MM21 area. It is memorable to me since it is an important route to the road passing through the headquarter building of Nissan Motor Corporation the design of which I was in charge. In the catalogue of her works, the headline for the bridge is “feeling of freedom in near future”. The bridge has unique design composed of curved lines. It was difficult to create sense of unity integrating the bridge and the road. Ohno writes in her catalogue “she worried if they would make beautiful integration and she was relieved to see that both fit well.” I had no opportunity to talk to her in person, but I was also relieved to know that the dialogue between the structures was successful.
Takenaka Scholarship Foundation organizes this exhibition. The members of the exhibition committee of Gallery A4, where exhibition plan for the next year is discussed, and the members of Culture and Art Project Selection Committee of Scholarship Foundation showed high interest in the topic of this exhibition and the plan was approved with unanimity.
The deepest appreciation goes to many people who have made tremendous effort in planning and opening this exhibition.