"In Japan, the city consists of parts perfect in themselves, but lacking a sense of or connection to the whole," observes curator Shino Nomura while discussing the work of Swiss architectural firm Diener & Diener.
Nomura sees the larger goal of the exhibition he's curated at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, "The House and the City: Architecture by Diener & Diener," in terms of an idea of the responsibility of citizens to their broader environment. "I would like this exhibition to invite us to begin a conversation with our neighbors about the city; to show that as citizens, through our attentiveness and care, we make our shared environment."
Founded by Marcus Diener in Basel in 1942, Diener & Diener is a respected name in Europe but largely unknown in Japan. The practice has been continued by the founder's son, Roger Diener, recalling traditions of father-to-son artisanal lineage that are more associated with the old Swiss standbys of watches and chocolates than with architecture.