Returning to Tokyo after living and working in Europe for some years, artist Tadashi Kawamata was struck by a unique characteristic of the megalopolitan Tokyo: It appears to be an unusually orderly and clean city, despite its population. Brightly lit vending machines line the streets at almost regular intervals, and any usable land is destined to be occupied sooner or later. Yet despite all the nooks and crannies that are occupied in Tokyo, Kawamata noticed that there were still plenty of narrow spaces located in between buildings, signboards, parking lots, vending machines and construction fences that remain unused.
With that in mind, Kawamata decided to explore such spaces with his "New Housing Plan," by creating living areas in them. He found three ideal locations in the semi-business, semi-residential areas of Tokyo, and named them "House of Vending Machines," "House of Billboards" and "House of Construction Fence." The first two were located at the intersections of busy streets in Setagaya and Ota wards, and the last was in front of a train station in Setagaya Ward.
The project was implemented in December of last year, and the actual "houses" have been relocated to Galerie Deux in Meguro, Tokyo. They were constructed with scaffolding and thin boards, with no insulation to keep the heat in or to prevent noises. The spaces were leased for about a week, and three men in their 20s and 30s were asked to live in the homes.