Architectural photographer, available for hire.
Contact
0032 475 46 57 95
marnicqroebben@gmail.com

REI / れい

2015 - ongoing

REI / れい is a project documenting and archiving modern, postmodern and metabolist architecture in Japan, through a photographic lens.
2015 - ongoing
The project exists in the shape of: 
  • a series of publications, of which the first volume has been published in 2025, 
  • and a website: rei-no-kai.com


€30,00

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SO-RI #018 - REI / れい : Volume 01 is the first book in a series of publications on this project, documenting architecture in Japan. It was published in 2025 by SO-RI, and it is their first offset printed publication.
Preface to the publication:
From the tabula rasa of post-war destruction grew the seeds of new architectural movements. The Metabolists took hold, followed by the rise of Postmodern architecture in the Japanese islands. Its ever-changing landscape, repeatedly struck by natural disasters, became fertile ground for architectural renewal and innovation.

The title "REI / れい", meaning "zero," refers both to the concept of the tabula rasa and the constant need to start again from nothing in Japan. More importantly, it also references the group of architects gathered around Kenzo Tange in the early 1950s, known as "Rei-no-kai" or "just that gathering," with "rei" signifying their perceived unimportance as a collective of architects.¹

This book explores the visual identity of (post-)modern architecture in Japan through a series of photographs by Marnicq Roebben.

The images in this book merely document the architecture and do not form a coherent series. The lack of narrative in the images stems from a desire to document, rather than create a conceptual work. This is also reflected in the sequence of images, which follows a geographic order moving from north to south, tracking the borders of regions and prefectures.

Each image is accompanied by relevant data: the name of the building, the architect, the year of construction, the city and prefecture, and the GPS coordinates. Where this data was unavailable, I have omitted those entry fields.

Sadly, I have learned that some of the buildings photographed have already been demolished, and more are set to be demolished in the near future.

This collection of images not only serves as a record of buildings but as a reminder of the impermanence of architecture and the ongoing dialogue between the past, present, and future.

¹The reference to “Rei-no-kai” gets mentioned by Toshiko Kato, Kenzo Tange’s wife, in an interview with Rem Koolhaas, in Project Japan on pages 89 and gets mentioned again on page 117. 
Koolhaas, R., Obrist, H.U., 太田佳., & Westcott, J. (2011). Project Japan: Metabolism Talks… . Taschen.