老屋翻新，重譯金澤——小津誠一 Redefining Kanazawa ——Seiichi Kozu

Text by Annie Lu | Translation by Eugenia Yang

金澤，這座城市如一朵雅緻的櫻花綻放於日本的歷史長河中。在江戶時代，她已吸引無數藝術家、職人駐足成為藝術中心，如今當我們漫步於金澤的街巷時，仍能浸淫在這股迷人的古城風情中，同時這座城市也決定開始以老屋翻新的姿態示人，並將現代潮流與傳統韻味相互融合，展現出現代金澤的多樣魅力，而這也都要多虧幕後的重要推手，也就是日本金澤ENN建築事務所的代表小津誠一先生……..

The city of Kanazawa blooms like an elegant cherry blossom in the long established history of Japan. During the Edo period, it had already attracted numerous artists and craftsmen and became an artistic hub. Today, as we stroll through the streets of Kanazawa, we can still find ourselves immersed in the enchanting charm of the ancient city. At the same time, the beautiful gem has decided to be reintroduced through the refurbished old houses, a process that blends modern trends with traditional styles to showcase the diverse allure of contemporary Kanazawa. All of this is made possible thanks to Mr. Seiichi Kozu, director of ENN Architectural Design Office , located right in Kanazawa, Japan.

注入新意

出生金澤的ENN建築事務所代表小津誠一先生，畢業於武藏野美術大學建築系，在他認知裡金澤一直都是座較保守的城市，這使他決定前往變化快速、多元的東京開始建築師工作，後來輾轉到京都從事建築教育，而生活在有1200年歷史的京都卻讓他開始意識到：「創新和傳統的積累使城市具有吸引力，京都可以，金澤也能辦到。」加上2004年21世紀美術館在金澤開幕，也讓他相信金澤文化與當代藝術的交織肯定會為城市帶來新面貌，這驅使他想回到金澤從事老屋翻新的事業，包括協助客戶找到獨特而舒適的家、參與城鎮發展、以及協助房地產專案的規劃等。

Infusing New Ideas 

Born in Kanazawa, Kozu graduated from the Department of Architecture at Musashino Art University. In his memory, Kanazawa has always been a relatively conservative city. This understanding led him to pursue a career in architecture in the fast-paced and diverse Tokyo. Later on, he moved to Kyoto for architectural education. However, living in Kyoto, a city with 1200 years of history, made him realize that “It is the accumulation of innovation and tradition that makes a city attractive. If Kyoto can, Kanazawa can too.” In addition, the opening of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa in 2004 convinced him that the intertwining of Kanazawa’s culture and contemporary art would undoubtedly bring a new face to the city. This motivated him to return to Kanazawa and engage in the business of renovating old houses, which includes assisting clients in finding unique and comfortable homes, participating in urban development and contributing to the planning of real estate projects. 

金澤之美

在金澤，可以參與老屋翻新的建築種類非常多樣，而這種多樣性也讓小津誠一感到著迷的說：「我醉心於將創新和傳統進行對比和融合所產生的困難挑戰。」由於金澤的文化多樣為建築帶來豐富的元素，更使得這座城市更加有趣且具包容性，這也是為何金澤從古至今一直都是許多藝術家想前往駐足之地。對於想要在金澤置產的人們，小津誠一也提出建議：「建築並不只是由自身的設計所能確立的，所以需要尋找有吸引力的地點、土地和建築，並透過當地的歷史、氣候和文化，在建築設計中加以利用，將有助於創造出獨特於該地區的空間。」對他來說，建築設計的完成性來自多方面的考量，這都是在老屋翻新前所需要去考量的。

The Beauty of Kanazawa 

In Kanazawa, there are various types of old buildings that can be renovated and it is this particular diversity that fascinates Kozu. “I am attracted to the difficult challenge of contrasting and harmonizing innovation and tradition.” The cultural diversity of Kanazawa brings rich elements to architecture, which makes the city even more interesting and inclusive. This is exactly why Kanazawa has been the destination for many artists, even till now. For those considering owning property in Kanazawa, Kozu also offers his advice: “A building is not something that can be established solely by its own design, so it is important to look for land and buildings in towns and locations that are attractive. Understanding the history, climate, and culture of the land and utilizing them in architectural design will lead to the creation of spaces that are highly unique to the region.” For him, the completeness of architectural design comes from considering various factors, all of which are essential to think about before starting renovation. 

ENNｘ江振誠「石引城堡」（Andre’s Private Guest House by Takashi Mukai）ENN x André Chiang – Andre’s Private Guest House by Takashi Mukai. 

E.N.Nｘ江振誠

小津誠一作為金澤E.N.N建築事務所的代表，在E.N.N的業務上他一直秉持著美感和實用性的平衡，並強調將當地的特色融入到設計中，以確保空間兼具吸引力和實用性。在多年的設計經驗下，E.N.N讓他最引以為傲且印象深刻的項目之一，其實就是他們為台灣米其林主廚江振誠所打造的「石引城堡」，當初小津誠一與江振誠是透過朋友介紹而熟識，因為疫情緣故，他們主要透過電子郵件聯繫，儘管如此他仍感受到與江振誠的對話充滿創造性，合作起來既有趣又嚴謹，所以「石引城堡」即以大膽的拱形天花板打造而成，每個房間也以傳統金澤色彩為主題設計，整體具備新穎又傳統的氛圍，讓人流連忘返！

ENN x André Chiang

As the representative of ENN Architectural Design Office, Kozu has always maintained a balance between aesthetics and practicality when it comes to E.N.N’s businesses. On top of that, he also emphasizes incorporating local characteristics into the design to ensure that the space is both attractive and practical. In his years of experience, one of the projects that he is particularly proud of is André’s Private Guesthouse, created for the Michelin-starred chef from Taiwan, André Chiang. Initially, Kozu met Chiang through a mutual friend, and yet, due to the pandemic, they mainly communicated online via email. Despite the inconvenience, Kozu still found the conversations they shared full of creativity, making the collaboration both enjoyable and rigorous. All crafted with a bold vaulted ceiling, the rooms at André’s Private Guesthouse were designed around the theme of traditional Kanazawa colors. The overall ambiance seamlessly blends novelty with tradition, creating a space that captivates and lingers in guests’ memories. 

未來展望

對於ENN與未來的展望，小津誠一並不希望止步於金澤這個區域而已，他想進一步實踐日本其他城鎮的地方創建，也非常樂意了解各個城鎮的歷史、氣候和文化，並且有效實踐人類活動與自然環境間的平衡；在小津誠一接受訪問期間，金澤北部的能登半島發生了嚴重地震，他提到地震造成的破壞其實也是一種創造性、重建和振興的催化劑，不過幸好金澤並未受到這次地震的影響， 所以小津誠一希望大家有機會仍可以一如往常的來到金澤拜訪，好好享受這座文化性十足的古城之美！

Future Aspirations 

Regarding ENN’s outlook for the future, Kozu doesn’t wish to limit the firm to the Kanazawa region alone. He envisions extending his practices to other Japanese towns and is eager to understand the history, climate and culture of these cities, in the hopes of restoring the balance between human activities and our natural environment. During the time our interview took place, a severe earthquake occurred in Noto Peninsula, which is located north of Kanazawa. With the tragedy in mind, he believes that destruction can also serve as a catalyst for creative reconstruction and revitalization. Fortunately, Kanazawa was not affected by the natural disaster. Therefore, Kozu hopes that everyone will still take the opportunity to visit Kanazawa and enjoy the beauty of this city enriched with culture and history.