TEDxKyoto
Takaharu Tezuka: The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen
Filmed:
Readability: 2.4
5,156,281 views
At this school in Tokyo, five-year-olds cause traffic jams and windows are for Santa to climb into. Meet: the world's cutest kindergarten, designed by architect Takaharu Tezuka. In this charming talk, he walks us through a design process that really lets kids be kids.
Takaharu Tezuka - Architect
Architect Takaharu Tezuka creates imaginative and versatile personal spaces. Full bio
Architect Takaharu Tezuka creates imaginative and versatile personal spaces. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:18
This is a kindergarten
we designed in 2007.
we designed in 2007.
0
6042
3698
00:22
We made this kindergarten
to be a circle.
to be a circle.
1
10111
3925
00:26
It's a kind of endless circulation
on top of the roof.
on top of the roof.
2
14036
3142
00:29
If you are a parent,
3
17179
2520
00:31
you know that kids love
to keep making circles.
to keep making circles.
4
19699
3964
00:36
This is how the rooftop looks.
5
24793
2807
00:39
And why did we design this?
6
27600
2258
00:41
The principal of this kindergarten said,
7
29858
2817
00:44
"No, I don't want a handrail."
8
32675
2579
00:47
I said, "It's impossible."
9
35254
2229
00:49
But he insisted: "How about having a net
sticking out from the edge of the roof?
sticking out from the edge of the roof?
10
37483
6294
00:55
So that it can catch
the children falling off?"
the children falling off?"
11
43777
2209
00:57
(Laughter)
12
45986
1447
00:59
I said, "It's impossible."
13
47433
2076
01:01
And of course,
the government official said,
the government official said,
14
49970
2919
01:04
"Of course you have to have a handrail."
15
52889
3265
01:10
But we could keep
that idea around the trees.
that idea around the trees.
16
58324
3519
01:13
There are three trees popping through.
17
61843
3277
01:17
And we were allowed to call
this rope as a handrail.
this rope as a handrail.
18
65120
5625
01:22
But of course, rope has nothing
to do with them.
to do with them.
19
70745
3272
01:26
They fall into the net.
20
74017
2486
01:29
And you get more,
21
77304
3051
01:32
and more,
22
80355
2937
01:35
more.
23
83292
1210
01:36
(Laughter)
24
84502
1151
01:37
Sometimes 40 children
are around a tree.
are around a tree.
25
85653
3550
01:43
The boy on the branch,
26
91733
1248
01:44
he loves the tree
so he is eating the tree.
so he is eating the tree.
27
92981
2483
01:47
(Laughter)
28
95464
2500
01:50
And at the time of an event,
29
98984
1801
01:52
they sit on the edge.
30
100785
2266
01:56
It looks so nice from underneath.
31
104191
2372
01:58
Monkeys in the zoo.
32
106563
2089
02:00
(Laughter)
33
108652
3900
02:04
Feeding time.
34
112552
1766
02:06
(Laughter)
(Applause)
(Applause)
35
114318
4631
02:12
And we made the roof as low as possible,
36
120784
2529
02:15
because we wanted to see
children on top of the roof,
children on top of the roof,
37
123313
4444
02:19
not only underneath the roof.
38
127757
2681
02:22
And if the roof is too high,
you see only the ceiling.
you see only the ceiling.
39
130438
3861
02:27
And the leg washing place --
there are many kinds of water taps.
there are many kinds of water taps.
40
135699
4516
02:32
You see with the flexible tubes,
41
140656
1778
02:34
you want to spray water
to your friends,
to your friends,
42
142434
2895
02:37
and the shower,
43
145329
1715
02:39
and the one in front is quite normal.
44
147044
2497
02:41
But if you look at this,
45
149541
1546
02:43
the boy is not washing his boots,
46
151087
1830
02:44
he's putting water into his boots.
47
152917
1674
02:46
(Laughter)
48
154591
1940
02:53
This kindergarten is completely
open, most of the year.
open, most of the year.
49
161423
5076
02:59
And there is no boundary
between inside and outside.
between inside and outside.
50
167699
3640
03:03
So it means basically
this architecture is a roof.
this architecture is a roof.
51
171339
4639
03:07
And also there is no boundary
between classrooms.
between classrooms.
52
175978
3289
03:11
So there is no acoustic barrier at all.
53
179267
3594
03:15
When you put many children in a quiet box,
54
183590
5825
03:21
some of them get really nervous.
55
189415
3318
03:24
But in this kindergarten,
56
192733
2252
03:26
there is no reason they get nervous.
57
194985
3430
03:30
Because there is no boundary.
58
198415
2810
03:33
And the principal says
59
201225
2197
03:35
if the boy in the corner
doesn't want to stay in the room,
doesn't want to stay in the room,
60
203422
4003
03:39
we let him go.
61
207425
1695
03:41
He will come back eventually,
because it's a circle, it comes back.
because it's a circle, it comes back.
62
209120
3159
03:44
(Laughter)
63
212279
1962
03:48
But the point is,
in that kind of occasion,
in that kind of occasion,
64
216561
2995
03:51
usually children try to hide somewhere.
65
219556
2851
03:54
But here, just they leave and come back.
66
222407
4579
03:58
It's a natural process.
67
226986
1850
04:00
And secondly, we consider
noise very important.
noise very important.
68
228836
5023
04:07
You know that children
sleep better in noise.
sleep better in noise.
69
235711
6431
04:14
They don't sleep in a quiet space.
70
242142
3844
04:17
And in this kindergarten,
71
245986
2250
04:20
these children show
amazing concentration in class.
amazing concentration in class.
72
248236
5247
04:27
And you know, our kind grew up
in the jungle with noise.
in the jungle with noise.
73
255193
6467
04:33
They need noise.
74
261660
2003
04:35
And you know, you can talk
to your friends in a noisy bar.
to your friends in a noisy bar.
75
263663
4304
04:39
You are not supposed to be in silence.
76
267967
3961
04:43
And you know, these days
77
271928
2167
04:46
we are trying to make
everything under control.
everything under control.
78
274095
4474
04:52
You know, it's completely open.
79
280219
1802
04:54
And you should know that
80
282021
3012
04:57
we can go skiing in -20 degrees in winter.
81
285033
5785
05:02
In summer you go swimming.
82
290818
3104
05:05
The sand is 50 degrees.
83
293922
1844
05:08
And also, you should know
that you are waterproof.
that you are waterproof.
84
296636
3393
05:12
You never melt in rain.
85
300029
3152
05:15
So, children are supposed to be outside.
86
303181
3869
05:19
So that is how we should treat them.
87
307050
3201
05:22
This is how they divide classrooms.
88
310251
2672
05:24
They are supposed to help teachers.
89
312923
2503
05:27
They don't.
90
315426
2305
05:29
(Laughter)
91
317731
1615
05:35
I didn't put him in.
92
323226
2156
05:39
A classroom.
93
327522
2184
05:42
And a washbasin.
94
330196
1909
05:44
They talk to each other around the well.
95
332655
3277
05:49
And there are always
some trees in the classroom.
some trees in the classroom.
96
337082
3737
05:55
A monkey trying to fish
another monkey from above.
another monkey from above.
97
343969
3408
05:59
(Laughter)
98
347377
1848
06:01
Monkeys.
99
349225
1604
06:02
(Laughter)
100
350829
1454
06:04
And each classroom has
at least one skylight.
at least one skylight.
101
352283
4415
06:09
And this is where Santa Claus
comes down at the time of Christmas.
comes down at the time of Christmas.
102
357468
3997
06:19
This is the annex building,
103
367255
2427
06:21
right next to that
oval-shaped kindergarten.
oval-shaped kindergarten.
104
369682
4469
06:26
The building is only
five meters tall with seven floors.
five meters tall with seven floors.
105
374151
5659
06:31
And of course,
the ceiling height is very low.
the ceiling height is very low.
106
379810
2161
06:33
So you have to consider safety.
107
381971
4065
06:38
So, we put our children,
a daughter and a son.
a daughter and a son.
108
386036
4381
06:43
They tried to go in.
109
391707
2534
06:47
He hit his head.
110
395731
2622
06:51
He's okay. His skull is quite strong.
111
399343
3969
06:55
He is resilient. It's my son.
112
403312
3088
06:58
(Laughter)
113
406400
1668
07:01
And he is trying to see
if it is safe to jump off.
if it is safe to jump off.
114
409038
2860
07:05
And then we put other children.
115
413038
2667
07:12
The traffic jam is awful
in Tokyo, as you know.
in Tokyo, as you know.
116
420835
2541
07:15
(Laughter)
117
423376
1152
07:16
The driver in front,
she needs to learn how to drive.
she needs to learn how to drive.
118
424528
4851
07:21
Now these days,
119
429379
2531
07:23
kids need a small dosage of danger.
120
431910
4620
07:30
And in this kind of occasion,
121
438970
2405
07:33
they learn to help each other.
122
441375
3925
07:37
This is society. This is the kind of
opportunity we are losing these days.
opportunity we are losing these days.
123
445300
4435
07:48
Now, this drawing is showing
the movement of a boy
the movement of a boy
124
456065
6911
07:54
between 9:10 and 9:30.
125
462976
6324
08:01
And the circumference
of this building is 183 meters.
of this building is 183 meters.
126
469300
6201
08:07
So it's not exactly small at all.
127
475501
3852
08:11
And this boy did 6,000 meters
in the morning.
in the morning.
128
479353
4606
08:15
But the surprise is yet to come.
129
483959
3592
08:19
The children in this kindergarten
do 4,000 meters on average.
do 4,000 meters on average.
130
487551
6697
08:27
And these children have
the highest athletic abilities
the highest athletic abilities
131
495455
6980
08:34
among many kindergartens.
132
502435
3155
08:43
The principal says,
133
511390
1626
08:45
"I don't train them.
We leave them on top of the roof.
We leave them on top of the roof.
134
513016
5727
08:51
Just like sheep."
135
519353
1619
08:52
(Laughter)
136
520972
1429
08:54
They keep running.
137
522401
1829
08:56
(Laughter)
138
524230
2029
08:58
My point is don't control them,
139
526779
5059
09:03
don't protect them too much,
140
531838
3222
09:07
and they need to tumble sometimes.
141
535060
3627
09:10
They need to get some injury.
142
538687
3786
09:14
And that makes them learn
143
542473
3419
09:17
how to live in this world.
144
545892
3136
09:23
I think architecture is capable
of changing this world,
of changing this world,
145
551848
7209
09:31
and people's lives.
146
559057
1842
09:33
And this is one of the attempts
to change the lives of children.
to change the lives of children.
147
561909
6082
09:40
Thank you very much.
148
568481
1652
09:42
(Applause)
149
570158
1994
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Takaharu Tezuka - ArchitectArchitect Takaharu Tezuka creates imaginative and versatile personal spaces.
Why you should listen
Takaharu Tezuka and his wife Yui make up Tezuka Architects. Together they have built schools centered on trees, play areas created from interwoven wooden beams and hospitals that offer patients the healing gifts of joyous light and space. It is this same breathtaking light and space, sketched out with clean lines of wood, metal and glass, that are the hallmarks of each of Tezuka’s projects. Since establishing the firm in 1994, Tezuka and his team have created buildings that transform mere walls and windows into living — and livable — art.
More profile about the speakerTakaharu Tezuka | Speaker | TED.com