A detailed history of Katsura, the seventeenth-century Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Japan, a pivotal work of Japanese architecture, often described as the 'quintessence of Japanese taste'. First revealed to the modern architectural world by Bruno Taut, the great German architect, in the early twentieth-century, Katsura stunned and then excited the architectural community of the West. Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, pillars of the Modernist establishment, were fascinated by Katsura's 'modernity'. This book documents the palace in detail, combining newly commissioned photographs, detailed drawings, archival material, and historical analysis.

Katsura Imperial Villa provides a comprehensive overview of the seventeenth-century palace at Kyoto,an outstanding example of Japanese architecture often considered a precursor of Modernist tendencies.Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of photographs - some newly commissioned and some selected from archives - this book offers an in-depth exploration of the secluded complex through detailed drawings and historical analysis.

Arata Isozaki's opening essay introduces the palace and is supported by further interpretations from Walter Gropius, Kenzo Tange, Manfred Spiedel and Francesco dal Co. Also included is a commentary by Bruno Taut, the German architect responsible for first revealing Katsura to the modern architectural world.Often described as the quintessence of Japanese taste,the palace stunned the architectural community and fascinated figures such as Le Corbusier and Gropius who saw it as a 'historical' example of modernity.

The formalities regarding visits to the villa have remained unchanged since Taut was first granted permission to visit in 1933, meaning that few people have been permitted a glimpse of the shaded pools and gateways, delicate sliding doors and tea pavilions.The extensive selection of maps, drawings and photographs presented in Katsura Imperial Villa make this book an indispensable reference work, and offer unprecedented access to this beautiful palace.

The diagonal strategy:

Katsura as envisioned by "Enshu's taste"

1.Katsura and its space of ambiguity

2.Architectonic polysemy

3.The authorship of Katsura: the diagonal Line

Arata Isozaki

the imperial villa of Katsura

photographs by Yoshiharu Matsumura

entrance to the villa

the shoin complex

the garden and the teahouses

interpretations of Katsura

Bruno Taut and the Katsura Villa

Manfred Speidel

Reflections on Katsura

Bruno Taut

Architecture in Japan

Walter Gropius

Tradition and creation in Japanese architecture

Kenzo Tange

"La princesse est modeste"

Francesco Dal Co

appendices

Glossary

Select bibliography