Our building in the Kashii neighborhood is difficult to understand without knowing the radical shift that occurred in the initial urban planning approach. The Isozaki studio -who had selected six architects born after 1941 (Steven Holl, Osamu Ishiyama, Rem Koolhaas, Marc Mack, Christian de Portzamparc, and myself, Oscar Tusquets)- was responsible for an urban plan that initially envisioned a nearly continuous construction along the street perimeter, surrounding a green area. 

Several constraints were imposed on us: the facade line, the maximum buildable depth, the distance from the neighboring plot, the maximum allowable height, and the cornice line at the top and ground floor level. In short, the plan aimed for the Western-style corridor street, with continuity of facade and uniform gauge. This parti pris was the same as that of other accredited projects from those years -such as the IBA in Berlin or the Vila Olímpica in Barcelona- and aligned with my own way of thinking, with the kind of urbanism I enjoy, understand, and know how to create.

However, the final outcome of Kashii is clearly antithetical to what was initially intended. To me, it became a high-level architecture fair but a bad portion of the city. 

As I was finishing the basic project, I noticed the liberties the other architects were taking with Isozaki’s permissiveness. However, stubbornly, I refused to back down, and ended up stuck at the back of the class like an obedient and slightly foolish child.

Fukuoka Beautification Award 1995