Little Tokyo/Arts District Station
Buffer Zone, 2009
Hirokazu Kosaka, artist
The unique features of this station are the result of the collaboration between performance artist Hirokazu Kosaka and Ted Tokio Tanaka Architects.
The station canopies are in the shape of Japanese archery bows while the platform paving design is patterned after a Japanese tatami mat. In archery a perfect shot requires the release of an arrow in the instant between one’s heartbeats: a moment in time and space with no intervening thoughts. This moment inspired the design for the platform bench artworks. The artist created six smooth granite benches with concentric circles of black and white, simulating a Zen archery target.
“This is the station between heartbeats, a space that is neither black nor white, but gray…an infinite space for different moods. We wanted the design to be very abstract, to reflect the culture of Japan, but also to keep it very artistic…we’re trying to create a much needed tranquil space in a very busy city.”