With the intention of paying tribute to the children and children of his country, he was inspired by the learned architect Tadao Ando (Osaka, 81 years old) to build the Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest, a library for young people based on the idea associated with the growth of youth, we think that books are good food for the mind. Both materials to generate a kind of forest of books to learn; free space…
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With the intention of paying tribute to the children and children of his country, he was inspired by the learned architect Tadao Ando (Osaka, 81 years old) to build the Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest, a library for young people based on the idea associated with the growth of youth, we think that books are good food for the mind. Both materials to generate a kind of forest of books to learn; free space to read and enjoy the literature. Ando himself took on the cost of building the project, located near Nakanoshima Park, on an island that had established various cultural houses in the city.
The library takes the form of a circumferential arch and is connected to the front of the Dojima River at the end, covered by a large terrace with a concrete canopy. “Shooting the arrow before I saw the shape of the bow,” said the engineer. At the gate, one of Andon’s efforts stands out: a sculpture of a giant green apple, a symbol of early youth in Japan, as it represents fruits not yet ripe. When asked about the seed of the building, the architect confessed that it was based on the poem Youth by Samuel Ullman, which begins: “Youth is not a time of life; / It is a state of mind; / Not rosy cheeks, / red lips and soft cheeks; it is a matter of the will; / quality of imagination; / emotional strength; / is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
The interior, lined with books, is defined by a set of stairs, walkways and corridors that create a three-dimensional labyrinth reminiscent of the enigmatic compositions in the woodcut sculptures of the Teutonic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher. The librarian guides the visitor through the beautiful three-story courtyard and explains that the age range of the books goes from zero to 13 years. When he said that there are some birds reading, he answers: “Sure” and “? Ah, then I understand. Before the wonderful books of the children of Tari Gomi I see myself reading clear years ago: “My friend night owl I learned to watch the night. I learned to read my books”. The readings are not organized by type but by preference: “Those who love animals”, “Fables and words”, “From Osaka to Japan and from Japan to the world”, “Thinking about the near future”, “Playing with nature”.
The Fragments of Books exhibition, created by the artistic and technological enterprise company Rhizomatiks, stands out in the bare interior walls. They are short phrases, abstract aphorisms that come to life through a dynamic projection that simulates three dimensions. The design is sober, without color, leaving as much space for the imagination as possible.
“I was born and raised in the Kansai area and spent my entire career here,” Ando explained as the space opened in 2020. “As a show of gratitude to my city, I have decided to have fun with this structure; to the cost of the building has full care. construction. Nakanoshima is a thin island located between two rivers. Its crossing is in the middle of the metropolis, the core of Osaka’s history and culture. All its inhabitants they understand its beauty and carry it in their hearts. When I was a child, I visited this landscape and it remained in my memory”.
