TOTO GALLERY·MA will present the exhibition "Shigenori Uoya: Re-Weaving Urban Fabrics."

Shigenori Uoya has renovated over 120 Kyo-machiya (Kyoto's traditional townhouses) based on his research on the composition of Kyoto and other cities and is engaged in architectural practice focused on the issue of inheriting urban context. In Kyoto, historic cityscapes are on the verge of extinction, with machiya (townhouses) and nagaya (rowhouses) being demolished and replaced with condominiums and parking lots daily. In this context, Uoya strives to pass on the architectural legacy not only of machiya but also of alleys and allotments.

For example, in "Nagaya and Historical Alley with Containers," he covered a corner of a nagaya building with a steel frame, combining it with containers to meet the needs of modern use while preserving the alley. The "Kakkyoyama Common Center for Gion Festival," which received the 2023 Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) Award (Work), is an extension combining an existing wooden construction with a steel frame construction to revitalize a historical meeting hall for the Gion Festival while leveraging the legal system for architectural conservation. By weaving modern technology into historical and regional contexts using various methods, Uoya aims to pass on streetscapes and buildings to the next 100 years to realize richer urban spaces and urban habitats. Based on his extensive hands-on experience in Kyoto, Uoya's practice is expanding to other parts of Japan and abroad.

The exhibition title, "Re-Weaving Urban Fabrics," expresses Uoya's perspective on cities and architecture. The phrase "Re-Weaving Urban Fabrics" encompasses meanings of two phrases, "Layering Time in the City" and "Re-editing Urban Structures." Through this exhibition, we hope to convey to visitors the possibilities of contemporary architecture that connects history and the future.