A passion for polished concrete

[imomus]

Believe it or not, "uses of polished concrete in Japan" is a topic I've been planning to blog about for some time. And now I have the perfect excuse to unleash the comment torrent this topic will undoubtedly provoke ("How dare you suggest that wet-look concrete is a mere compensatory tactic?"). Yesterday, buffeted by a fierce low pressure system, Hisae and I erected umbrellas and headed down to Nadiff a/p/a/r/t.



There I found an area of polished concrete so miraculously shiny that I genuinely thought the rain was leaking in through the window, and tried to splash it with my shoe like a puddle. But let's take a step back, before this text gets too exciting.

Nadiff, to recap, is short for New Art Diffusion. It's an offshoot from Saison Culture; the bookstore, record store, gallery and cafe was started by the people who used to run the Libro bookstore in the Ikebukoro branch of Parco. For the longest time it was in a funky part of Aoyama, near the Maisen tonkatsu restaurant. Then in 2008 it moved to a purpose-built structure on an obscure alley off a riverside footpath in Ebisu.



If it weren't for prominent signs on the lampposts, nobody would find the new incarnation of Nadiff. And that would be a pity, because it's a jewel, an excellent repository of art books and magazines, with two galleries and a bar attached. The only thing that's gone is the record section, boiled down to a single table featuring CDs released by Raster Noton, Casten Nicolai's label. Nadiff has, in timely fashion, got out of CD retail.



But now comes the exciting part of my tale. Nadiff may have got out of music, but it's very much got into shiny polished concrete. The ground-level store's floors boast a fascinating variety of surface sheens. You need to read Schemata Architecture Office's account to discover how haphazardly these textures were arrived at:

"The existing floor was uneven from inaccurate construction," writes Schemata architect Jo Nagasaka, "so we poured epoxy mixed with pine ash on the floor to create a flat surface. The transparent black liquid made different shades of black, following the uneven surface on the floor. It looked like gradation of color on a gradually shoaling beach."



It actually looks, on a rainy day, as if even more inaccurate construction has let the elements seep in and cover the whole surface of the floor with a couple of millimeters of water. It's very hard to imagine such construction imperfections happening in Japan when you consider the care with which such things are done...

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...but taking construction imperfections and making a conversation piece of them by subtly drawing attention to them is a Japanese tradition too; it's called wabi sabi.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

First!

[(Anonymous)]

Written with the typical arrogance of someone brought up on even, white, privileged floors. For you it might be amusing - and even wabbi sabbi - to contemplate a botched floor that's had to be levelled up with poxy resin, but for the less fortunate it's not so funny. I had a great uncle who was killed while roller-skating on an uneven concrete floor, and I can tell you that in my family that's not a conversation piece, it's a taboo.

[imomus.livejournal.com]

If you'd actually taken the trouble to read my text, Anon, you'd have noticed that I'm arguing for floor-leveling -- the very kind that could have saved your uncle's life.

[(Anonymous)]

That's a particularly insensitive comment. First, he was my great uncle, not my uncle. I told you I didn't want to talk about the issue, so you not only talked about it, but implied pretty heavily that Reginald's death was our fault because we didn't heed your advice and level our concrete floors in time. For a start you've only just given this advice, when it's obviously too late for Reg, and in addition, if you edged your head out of your artsy Japanese bubble one single inch, you'd know that wabby sabby hasn't reached Leicester yet.

[imomus.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, it's obviously a sore point, I won't mention your great-uncle's death again (beyond this mention, obviously).

[(Anonymous)]

First you tell me my great-uncle would still be alive if we'd levelled the floor, now you try to sweep his death under the carpet?

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Well, if we are going to talk about this, I'd say your great-uncle's death had very little to do with floor surfacing (today's topic, strictly speaking) and a lot to do with the fact that it's never wise to roller-skate indoors.

[(Anonymous)]

You really can't stop putting your Japanese-clogged foot in your mouth, can you? Not content to rub his all-too-recent death in the faces of me and my family, you're now happy to impugn his judgment into the bargain? Are you saying he committed suicide? Do you know what a heavy charge that is, for a Catholic family?

[loveishappiness.livejournal.com]

Obvious Troll is obvious.

[rogerlodge.livejournal.com]

it's not a troll the comment is clearly a joke.

[loveishappiness.livejournal.com]

You're assuming trolls can't be funny.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Trolls can be funny if you drop their bridge on them.

Detcord primer and a few kilos of C4 should do the trick.

[(Anonymous)]

Srsly, how DARE you gloss over my family's sufferring by calling us trolls? And in this, our time of morning?

[loveishappiness.livejournal.com]

[kumakouji.livejournal.com]

"Written with the typical arrogance of someone brought up on even, white, privileged floors."

That got a giggle out of me.

woggy soggy

[(Anonymous)]

the appreciation of things imperfect; the assigning of value to the old and over-used; the melancholy appreciation (aesthetically and emotionally) of one's own humble poverty

[(Anonymous)]

Well I laughed, I think you should let Reginald's great nephew take over your blog when you leave.

[(Anonymous)]

lovely post

-Jace

[(Anonymous)]

Momus,

When was the last time you posted an entry with a typo? I can't recall it ever happening. Surely you deserve some kind of award.

[(Anonymous)]

I thought the same thing recently.
But then I noticed a typo a week or so ago. I forget which post, but it was definitely there.

[(Anonymous)]

On second thought, it wasn't a typo - it was a missing word. I guess Momus accidentally it.

[stanleylieber.livejournal.com]

the effect displayed in the last photo is GORGEOUS

[(Anonymous)]

"The existing floor was uneven from inaccurate construction, so we poured epoxy mixed with pine ash on the floor to create a flat surface."

"It's very hard to imagine such construction imperfections happening in Japan when you consider the care with which such things are done..."

Don't believe it; it's just the architect being cheeky, making light of a clever design decision; the floor plan has shows the uneven concrete topography planned-in to it.

http://www.archdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/593901723_floor-plan.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

uh, nevermind.

[subalpine.livejournal.com]

there's poetry in these quotes, and floors, if you just let your mind edit:

pine ash
transparent black
gradation of color

(at least that's what stood out in my mind the first time i read through the quote)

[akabe.livejournal.com]

there ain't no wabi-sabi there; just regurgitated droog design and younameit...

[kumakouji.livejournal.com]

That floor that looks like a rainy day at a carpark is amazing... but look at the perfect white furniture and walls! Boring art cliché. we've had this discussion on click Opera before.

[booniebot.livejournal.com]

did you see the cat footsteps near the window?

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/johankleinjan/4018805826/)

[(Anonymous)]

See no evil. Momus come back to ilx... or come back to Glasgow.

[imomus.livejournal.com]

I just cancelled some plans to play in Glasgow, telling the promoter "You'll just lose money, nobody in Glasgow is clamouring for Momus shows!"

I'm my own worst manager!

[sm255.livejournal.com]

I love seeing your pictures of Tokyo - the people and the buildings especially. Thanks.

[(Anonymous)]

I've never seen a sexier surface in my life! Seriously.

Life in Tokyo

[(Anonymous)]

Hello Momus,
Sorry for being anonymous. I'm in Tokyo, and would love to talk about the Japanese through email or in person over tea if you like, my treat. I have so many questions, as I've only been here for a week. I would appreciate it very much. Part of the reason I'm here is from discovering your blog in 2005.
Regards,
Ben Feole
ben.feole@gmail.com