In August 1961, Robin Boyd travelled to Japan for the first time. In a period of turmoil for his architectural practice, Boyd’s reputation as a writer was on the rise. This trip, sparked by a commission to write the book Kenzo Tange (1962), began an engagement with Japanese architecture that would grow deeper and more nuanced through the 1960s. From his subsequent visit to Tokyo in 1965, through his work on New Directions in Japanese Architecture (1968) and as Australia’s Exhibits Architect at Expo 70 in Osaka, Boyd would visit, think, and write about Japan with a sympathetic outsider’s lens until his death in 1971.
Robin Boyd & Japan tells the story of Boyd’s connection to Japan through his objects, influences and relationships. Created by the Robin Boyd Foundation’s Research and Collections team to highlight items in the Walsh Street Archive, the stories presented are interlinked and enriched by original research, diving deep into this little-explored aspect of Boyd’s life and work.
Robin Boyd & Japan is a curated network of objects, documents, stories and historical context, designed to be explored.
In-text links reveal connections or provide historical context - click More to learn the full story.
Buildings photographed by Robin Boyd are linked in text - click any photo for an enlarged version.
(pdf) scans are downloadable for some original documents - these will open in a new tab.
Robin Boyd & Japan is curated by Kerry Landman and Jonathan Russell and produced by the Robin Boyd Foundation’s Research and Collections Team. The Robin Boyd Foundation thanks Mainroad Marketing, The State Library of Victoria, RMIT Design Archives and Victorian Collections for their assistance with Robin Boyd & Japan.
