Japanese Ma Revisit

In-Between concept within Kengo Kuma's design projects in North America

Abstract

Ma, translated as interval, gap, negative space, etc. in English, is closely related to the concept of “in-between” relation, which is considered an untranslatable term. It has aroused intense interest and debates among scholars in recognition of differences in the notion of spatial culture in architecture between Japan and the West. This article reviews the Japanese concept of Ma in history and reinterrogates it by raising three questions (context, authorship, and presentation) on the design of Ma. It aims to better understand Ma and its application in practice beyond the Japanese context. This article chooses Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s nine completed design projects in North America with varied types and scales to explore the above questions. From the perspectives of three main themes (“people,” “space,” and “time” in relation to “public-private,” “nature-artifact,” and “past-present” respectively) and derived subthemes in the construction of Ma, the research analyzes how Kuma’s five tangible design strategies lead to the intangible concept of Ma. It brings Kuma’s former writings on making the “place” and other commentators’ critiques into a further discussion. The research argues that Ma is viable not only in the Japanese context but also
in today’s North American context by responding to cities’ specific demands and challenges. Ma is the “relationship” between the time space-people, and the way to realize it is through place-making. Ma’s Japan-ness comes from the specific design techniques in the process of fulfilling it rather than the imported cultural concept itself.