Mitsuharu Kojima

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Mitsuharu Kojima ("MK") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

MK : My design is self-educated. After completion of a master's course, I worked for a design office for two years. When I was twenty-seven, I established my architectural design office in 2001. After that, I have been creating my design by original methods.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

MK : I have decided to enlighten the whole world by my design. That’s the reason why I wanted to be a great architect.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

MK : When I was fourteen, I chose my way to become an architect.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

MK : I design minds of people centered in architecture. I’d like to create design that can impress many people so that it will be a comfortable symbol in the area.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

MK : A great designer has a big challenge to create frameworks to inspire the people to act for their own future and realize what they are by indicating innovative and universal designs. To change the consciousness of one person is deserved to change that of the whole world.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

MK : I have a standard to evaluate the design's degree of exaltation and to enhance the Intelligence.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

MK : Good design will change the people's mind to be more positive. We need to live in the present, and we will advance by handing over it to next generations. The advance is supported by designs, and it inspires the people to improve their lives.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

MK : I’d like to take much time to design a universal facility that takes in rich environment of universe someday. I’d like to create spaces that people feel warmth of people, not cold space which is similar to it in the movie.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

MK : In my imagination, my ideal architect has already existed. The architect will be places where many people gather and give pray to own god or something great. In the building, people will be hold in warmth by the light softly that is spilling out of different angles. The light holds up from time to time which is similar to fine art. People will feel great thank for everything, for example, nature and our lives. We call for clients who are agree with us.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

MK : I remain somewhere of not perfect so that I feel possibility for changing.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

MK : We named the house “Distance of Fog”. We created a renovated design that we interchanged two concepts, a sense of distance in fog and a sense of distance between people. In this architect, residents will feel various senses of distance visually while they are moving in and around the house.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

MK : My design is a kind of light tucking the people. Design is the light. It is the act of illuminating life itself. Illuminating the birth of life. Illuminating to live life, to light up. Illuminating life that is getting lost. Illuminating to light up so that life is not frightened by fear. Illuminating to light up to find out what life is like. Illuminating dying life. And also, illuminating to create a new life. It exists to live to connect to next life in the future. Thus, I consider that the greatest design is the act to brighten and enrich minds of people.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

MK : I’d like to introduce my next works, including an unfinished assembly facility which is possibly finished by filling the people or a house which lives in small gate. I expect to form the area which open to the community.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

MK : I’d like to create an atmosphere where I can hold a real world we face in warmth. I have an idea which an individual person will have a bond with each other freely, not like living in a facility or a colony which district the freedom of human beings.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

MK : Design becomes bigger and bigger in power. Because, design gives powers to individual persons who will form a big stream like a huge herd of gnu, it makes significant effects to the society. Therefore, design must be positive.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

MK : I am currently working on the architect will be places where many people gather and give pray to own god or something great. In the building, people will be hold in warmth by the light softly that is spilling out of different angles. The light holds up from time to time which is similar to fine art. People will feel great thank for everything, for example, nature and our lives. We call for clients who are agree with us.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

MK : We named the house “Distance of Fog”. We created a innovative design that we interchanged two concepts, a sense of distance in fog and a sense of distance between people. In this architect, residents will feel various senses of distance visually while they are moving in and around the house.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

MK : At the beginning of our project, we keep users under observation. Next, break the existing concept　of users.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

MK : Passion !

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

MK : In my opinion, technology plays the most important role to support the architectural idea.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

MK : They have important role to make people to have a soft spot for something.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

MK : What does “Embracing Architect” means?

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

MK : Passion is the motivation by which I’d like to create the design more innovatively and abundantly, it is beyond other people’s imaginations.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

MK : I have experienced co-construction many times with many craftsmen through my projects. One of the craftsmen said to me “I can’t do it.” when I explained a work to him. The work was very fabulous. So, I didn’t want to give it up. There are many reasons why he turned down my request. It was the most challenging point for us to generate various shaped wooden materials. In addition, we didn’t have enough budgets for it. But, we talked to find the solutions what we needed to do. I started to describe many complex figures of wooden panels by using CAD. The craftsman began to print out the shapes of wooden panels and cut them by his hand. That event generated a fine result that we expected at the beginning. After finishing the project, he said to me with a big smile. “It’s a piece of cake.” I was pleased with it.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

MK : Every morning, I ask myself in the mirror what I am.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

MK : I was sure that my dream would come true that to be a great architect from bottom of my heart.