Chance encounters shape people. The journey that created Tsuyoshi Tane, an architect who is gaining worldwide attention.

"Traveling is part of the architect's job."

OnTrip JAL Editorial Department (hereinafter referred to as JAL): Mr. Tane has been based in Paris since 2017 as the head of the architectural design firm Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects. We've heard that you have projects all over the world, but do you travel a lot?

Tsuyoshi Tane (hereinafter, Tane): To be honest, I've been so busy with work recently that I haven't been able to go on many personal trips (laughs). However, when you work in architecture, if there's a project, you get to visit various countries and places you've never been to before. During business trips, I often make time to go around those places.

JAL: So there's no clear separation between work time and travel time.

Tane: That's true. However, the way I spend my time whether I'm traveling or working isn't that different. That's because, for an architect, traveling is also a part of the job.

JAL: Is travel also part of your job?

Tane: Of course, there are differences in whether or not you have meetings or work, but the way you spend your time outside of that is the same. You walk, see the place and the people, and learn about the culture and history. You probably spend a lot of time walking, whether you're traveling or doing research for work.

JAL: Discovering the charm of a place is a common theme for both work and travel. What do you pay attention to when looking at a city?

Tane: As I walk, I look at the architecture and landscapes. Also, the trees and plants vary greatly depending on the climate and customs, so that's another way to feel the differences in the climate. And above all, the people. I naturally find myself thinking about the origins of the people who live in that country, where they came from, and how they blend together in the city today.

JAL: When I think of research conducted by architects, I have the impression that it focuses mainly on architecture, but it seems that you also look at other things.

Tane: Of course I pay attention to architecture. When I was a student, I spent a month traveling around Spain, Italy, and France, and I was interested in seeing as many famous contemporary buildings in Europe as possible. However, I don't go to many places at once like that anymore.

JAL: How has it changed?

Tane: I've changed to looking at things slowly, rather than focusing on quantity, but I guess it's because I'm getting older (laughs). But unlike when I was a student, I don't really remember architecture that I saw on its own. Instead, there's a lot I can learn from the "memories" that connect the topography, landscape, and buildings, and the appearance of the people who live there. I try to be conscious of capturing the whole picture as much as possible.

The most important thing to enjoy traveling is to enjoy coincidences.

JAL: When you go on a trip, how do you decide where to go?

Tane: I often decide on my destination on instinct. Two years ago I went to Iceland, which was like another planet and not like Earth. Although they had planted trees there, it was basically just moss growing on pitch black lava ground, with no soil or trees. It was a "land without life," so to speak.

I got off there and walked around thinking to myself, "What does it mean to be alive?" That being said, the tour to the hot springs called the Blue Lagoon was fully booked and I couldn't join it, so I happened to come across a tour to walk inside the mouth of a volcano, and suddenly I came back to the idea of "life."

JAL: So you don't plan too much and just decide how to spend your time when you get to your destination?

Tane: Since there are problems when traveling, I plan one thing for each day and leave the rest to chance. So that I can enjoy each moment to the fullest. I ask locals for recommendations on places to go and enjoy things on the spot. By repeating these experiences, problems no longer seem like problems (laughs). Because I live like this, I travel light with just one bag and just go on trips.

JAL: So you enjoy the chance encounters you have when you travel.

Tane: To begin with, it was a coincidence that we decided to base ourselves in Paris. I had been living in Scandinavia and London, but in 2005, the former partners of two of the members who participated in the Estonian National Museum competition together lived in Paris. When we discussed where to base ourselves, we lost by majority vote, so we decided to base ourselves in Paris (laughs).

JAL: I'm surprised that such a big decision is made by majority vote.

Tane: I thought I'd quit if I didn't like it, so I lived there for three months, but I soon realized the charm of Paris. The scenery, culture, and art were all wonderful, and I ended up living there for ten years. The charm of Paris is that, without fear of being misunderstood, it is "the most beautiful and ugliest city." At first glance it seems glamorous, but behind it lies the intermingling of various cultures and a complex history. As an architect, I want to take on the world, so it's a fulfilling place in the sense that it's a place where art gathers.

JAL: Did you originally have the intention of working overseas?

Tane: That wasn't the case at all... When I was a student, I went abroad just because I enjoyed traveling, and before I knew it, I was based overseas. It was all just coincidence that I was able to challenge the international competition for the "Estonian National Museum" at the age of 26, and that I was based in Paris with the members.

In Europe, many projects end up being abandoned, and even after winning a competition, things often don't go as planned, but we were fortunate to be able to open last year. It was all due to good opportunities.