The Consulate-General of Japan in Brisbane will join with Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) School of Design to host an exhibition highlighting how architects responded to the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011.

The exhibition coincides with the anniversary of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, which led to material damages of about 25 trillion yen (USD$300 billion), and introduces the diverse range of projects launched by architects throughout the region.

This is divided into three sections representing the phases of projects that were implemented or planned from the period immediately after the disaster to the present:

First phase: emergency responses
Second phase: temporary housing
Third phase: reconstruction projects

The displays consist of panels that summarise each project with a written outline, drawings and photographs in addition to related materials such as videos, models, and furniture and cardboard shelters that were actually used in the evacuation shelters.

Emergency Shelter Exhibition: Australian and international architects showcased shelters that would protect people from the elements and make them feel secure and comfortable during emergency situations

A complementary symposium covering the historical knowledge, construction technology and activities of rehabilitation organised by architects and artists in the aftermath of natural disasters will also take place on February 6, at QUT.

Titled ‘Thinking about Australia and Japan’s Future – Learning from the experience of natural disaster’, the symposium’s panellists will discuss the support Japan can provide to Australia in the case of disasters, and the preparations and prevention measures Australia can take for these types of events.

The Japanese panelists will also present ancillary exhibitions of their post-disaster design work. They include Associate Professor of Kobe University's Dept of Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering Osamu Tsukihashi, architect Jun Sakaguchi, and Associate Professor of Art & Art History at Seattle University, Naomi Kasumi.

They are joined by QUT's Head of School of Design, Paul Sanders, UQ Lecturer Andrew Wilson, and Marc Mulholland, strategic planning manager at the Brisbane City Council.

Video: Dramatic Reading of the Lost Homes Project by Osamu Tsukihashi

Exhibition:

Dates: Monday 2 February – Friday 20 February
Venue: QUT Gardens Point Campus (D Block)
Cost: Free

Symposium:

Venue: QUT School of Design, Main lecture theatre

Date: Friday 6 Feb

Time: 6pm start (5pm open)

Capacity: 230

Cost: $30 ($20 for advanced bookings)

To find out more, visit http://www.brisbane.au.emb-japan.go.jp/en/jicc/whatson.html.

Geraldine Chua

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