On 31 May, the Kyoto University Library Network (KULN) published online 358 architectural drawings by Josiah Conder 1 , a British-born architect who designed numerous public buildings in Japan while serving as a foreign adviser to the country's Meiji-period government. These materials are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and belong to the Graduate School of Engineering's Department of Architecture and Architectural Engineering. KULN digitized and published these drawings as part of the Kyoto University Open Access Promotion Project 2 .
The published collection includes numerous masterpieces from the architect's later years, including the drawings of the Shimazu, Furukawa, and Naruse residences. The public availability of these and other Conder pieces is anticipated to aid research and contribute to advances in architecture, modern Japanese history, and related fields of study.
With Conder widely recognized as one of the founders of modern Japanese architecture, the publication of his works may also serve to promote the country's architectural heritage worldwide.
The published images are available via KULN's online public access catalog (OPAC), called kuline 3 (link below) . KULN plans to release higher-resolution versions in August using an image-delivery system that complies with the International Image Interoperability Framework 4 (IIIF) .
An analytique of the Akaboshi residence in Ois o , one of the 358 Conder drawings accessible via kuline
- 1 Josiah Conder (1852-1920)
While in Japan, Conder also served as a professor at the Imperial College of Engineering, fostering a new generation of Japanese architects. His designed private homes of numerous local financiers as well. - 2 Open Access Promotion Project
This initiative is aimed at accelerating the collection and publication of works by Kyoto University researchers in accordance with the University's Open Access Policy, as well as at expanding KULN's longstanding efforts to digitize and publish valuable academic resources. The Project also encourages collaboration among research communities across the University and beyond to promote the worldwide use of the collected materials. - 3 kuline
See http://kuline.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/?lang=english - 4 International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)
See http://iiif.io/
Related link
- Kyoto University Library Network: "Architectural Drawings by Josiah Conder, Important Cultural Property, digitized and available on kuline"
http://www.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/bulletin/1375135?lang=en
