Monograph

In Shinagawa, one of the most densely developed wards in Tokyo, a 1.6 kilometer-long rail yard cuts a swath through its urban fabric. Anchored by Takanawa Gateway Station, Tokyo’s first new rail station on the Yamanote line in 50 years, the master plan for Takanawa Gateway City restitches the district with a vibrant mix of residential, retail, office, hotel, and cultural uses. The development is designed to foster innovation and public engagement across all of its buildings and functions. 

A key deliverable of Pickard Chilton’s master plan for the Takanawa Gateway City development was the Design Concept + Code book. Designed, authored, and illustrated by Pickard Chilton, the 200-page book outlines design intent and guiding principles for building composition, public realm space, lighting, landscape, and programming.  

Organized into three chapters, each addressing a different scale, the book in both Japanese and English considers every detail, from the sweep of the plan’s 1.6 kilometer-long promenade to guidelines for exterior elevator signage. 

Entirely different from ‘design guidelines’ or ‘form-based zoning’ documents, the blending of a concept and code document creates a truly cohesive expression of unity and harmony in the district. 

L'ARCA Monographs No. 9 is dedicated to the work and process of Pickard Chilton. World-renowned architectural critic, Mario Pisani, describes the 25-year old architectural design practice in an excerpt from his introductory essay: 

PICKARD CHILTON practices from the second and third floors of a 1918 building on Chapel Street in New Haven, Connecticut, a small city graced by the gothic towers of Yale University and modern architectural landmarks by Louis Kahn, Paul Rudolph, Eero Saarinen, Roche Dinkeloo, Gordon Bunshaft, and Marcel Breuer. The studio of only 50 people competes for projects with today’s architectural elite.

In a society driven by consumption, the pressure to constantly produce has negatively impacted technical know-how, the actual practice of architecture and construction, and the relationship with those working on the site. The concepts of beauty and patient, meticulous design and execution have been stripped away by a process that reinforces excessive individualism and obscures history and context.

In sharp contrast to a process that focuses solely on the end-product, Pickard Chilton approaches design without ties to theoretical architectural debate or to what is showcased at international biennials or major exhibitions. The studio is not interested in establishing a singular design identity through extravagant theories or buildings designed for press headlines. Instead, its design methodology aims to create urban spaces and buildings that reflect an ethical modernity that captures the true essence of the modern movement. 

February 28, 2015
by Michael J. Crosbie (Author)
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Images Publishing Dist Ac (February 28, 2015)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 1.1 x 11.9 inches
Book Design: Jenny Chan/Jack Design

October 16, 2013
by Michael J. Crosbie (Author)
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Images Publishing Dist Ac (October 16, 2013)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 1.1 x 12 inches

December 28, 2012
by Pickard Chilton (Author)
Paperback: 158 pages
Publisher: Images Publishing Dist Ac (December 28, 2012)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 0.6 x 13.5 inches

May 16, 2012
by Mig Halpine (Author)
Hardcover: 372 pages
Publisher: Images Publishing Dist Ac; Slp edition (May 16, 2012)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 1.7 x 14.1 inches

2010
by Richard Guy Wilson (Introduction)
Hardcover: 184 pages
Publisher: 9 Square Editors (2010)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 20 x 10 x 1.5 inches

2007
by Richard Guy Wilson (Introduction)
Hardcover: 140 pages
Publisher: 9 Square Editors (2007)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 20 x 10 x 1.5 inches