Supertight

Supertight is an exploration of high-density urban life and reducing the footprint of cites through adaptations in design and behavior. Tightness is a positive urban quality, examined through the observations of designers, with a focus on the cities of Asia. The rapidly growing large cities of Asia are critical to understanding our future footprint. Asian cities provide insights into new ways of being densely urbanised. The by-product of this unprecedented metropolitan convergence will be the emergence of new urbanisms and new architectures, new models for living and making culture.

The Supertight refers to the small, intense, robust and hyper-condensed spaces that emerge as a by-product of extreme levels of urban density. Tightness arises as consequence of density, but tightness itself is not density. Tightness is a series of social, economic and cultural practices that have developed in cities as a response to the rapid growth and consolidation of cities. While architectural models of density have been heavily explored, this project investigates the culture of tightness that has emerged in Asian cities over the past thirty years, and the role that designers play in the material and social behaviours of tightness. To be tight is to be small and constrained, but also to be open to the economies and social intimacy of being close. Ultimately this project aims to unpack and convey both the delight and difficulty that emerges through the close occupation of large cities.

With Contributions of

Yoshiharu Tsukamoto / Atelier Bow-wow

Atelierco

Rafael A Balboa with Yasemin Sahiner

Sanuki Daisuke

Drawing Architecture Studio

Desiree Grunewald

Sue Hajdu

Tohru Horiguchi

Alban Mannisi, Yazid Ninsalam, Charles Anderson

Minsuk Cho / Mass Studies

New Office Works

Archie Pizzini

Andrew Stiff

Superimpose

Taishin Shiozaki / Shiozaki Lab

WOHA