Hans Park is an architect who specialises in urban design and research. He works in Tokyo for the international branch of the second largest architecture practice in Japan whose projects range from hospitals in Uganda and Honduras to extra large urban developments in Vietnam and China. Lessons Learned is a series of writings by Hans depicting the life of a Tokyo architect. It opens OK Do’s Making Places project presenting fresh views on spatial practice.
On Failure
Introduction to the crisis
As a foreigner working in Japan, a career crisis can develop rapidly and hit deep. It hit me a month after starting work, and was triggered during the first company meeting where a new staff evaluation system was introduced. This system was to help managers define salary levels and other things related to one’s employment. During the Q&A part of the meeting, I asked how the management and the superiors would be evaluated in return – there was a long, deliberate silence. The head honchos are not keen on dialogue about their performance, it seemed. Applying my experiences on management to the whole of Japan’s corporate leadership would be highly unmerited and ridiculous. However, the quick development of my career crisis could be rooted in cultural differences, especially one of them having to do with recognising the acceptable modes of dialogue.
Adding to the crisis is my lack of confidence towards architects actually adding value to future cities built in parts of Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. It is not that new cities with generic towers and shopping malls on uninhabited land should not be built at all. However, powerful architectural practices in the emerging markets push to accommodate urbanisation with a set of ideas and skills that originate in the last century. So far, architects have only increased their capacity to produce faster not better. Crisis much?
So, what is it that you do Hans?
I was happy to be invited to a fancy dinner and networking event where everybody who is anybody in the Tokyo art world was present. After the last dish was served the floor was open for discussion, mingling and a spontaneous a cappella music performance. People were having a good time chatting and laughing. I tried to fit in. A big mistake.
As common as it is today, and certainly so in Japan, one man asked me what it is that I do. I thought I was prepared for this question only to realise that I was not. After a year of struggling with a career crisis, it felt like the definitive question. So, there I was – lost and confused rather than convinced of what I do and more so, what I aspire to do. The question was posed by the TED Tokyo curator who, after listening to my twittery answer, checked the time and decided to walk away mid-talk to speak with more interesting people. The walk-away made me feel pathetic so I left the party.
Ironically, I found comfort in Alain de Botton and his recent TED talk where he eloquently describes the ‘What is it you do?’ question as the iconic question of the early 21st century; a deal breaker that will define you as either interesting or simply boring. Alain de Botton’s nervous-paced TED talk is nurturing and sensible, and I wish I had seen it before the art party. In his talk, Alain de Botton touches issues regarding a society where people are defined by accomplishments and nothing else.
Thanks to de Botton, I found myself a bit more at ease with failure, the career crisis and the iconic question. I learned that the best way to survive situations where one is surrounded by interesting people is to talk less and observe more. I guess in the future I should not engage in the iconic question but rather return it quickly, before getting out of depth, at least to have a chance to come out of the conversation in one piece.