Yesterday morning I read a review on Design Observer of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial: Why Design Now? The exhibition, filled with exciting renderings and prototypes, is charged with "presenting the most innovative designs at the center of contemporary culture." What the author points out, however, is that while these "innovations" may look great as concepts, they may not be so dazzling in real life.

Masdar Development designed by Foster + Partners

One example is a carbon neutral and zero waste planned city imagined for the outskirts of Abu Dhabi by architects Foster + Partners. When the ground is broken on this development, an entirely premeditated metropolis will rise from the desert. On one hand the unity of this vision presents new opportunities for efficiency and sustainability. On the other, this place is effectively a void—and potentially a vacuum—of authentic local character.

Carport, Tokyo, 2009, from Open Secrets: Photographs of Japan by Alan Thomas

I had forgotten all about the article until I came across the work of contender Alan Thomas, who has been documenting the "secret" urban landscape of Japan. Tokyo is one of the largest and most iconic cities in the world, so Alan's clean and quiet photographs seem like a strange portrayal of this place, but it's a different side of Japan that he seeks to capture. Outside the hustle and bustle of the central districts, Alan endearingly photographs "the spaces between planned projects."

He writes:

It is in these narrow confines that people and businesses perform the countless small-scale improvisations that give Japanese cities their character. These minor spaces are at once public and oddly intimate, and easily missed—the open secrets of urban Japan.

In his statement, Alan quotes architect Fumihiko Maki, who writes that, "compared with New York, Tokyo is a disorderly, relaxed city, whose architectural framework offers few constraints. That is precisely why the formation of territory in Tokyo is either very delicate and personal or extremely abstract in nature." The pictures from Open Secrets depict both of these territories, but what they all have in common is something that a planned project could never possess: character.

Hiroshima, 2004, from Open Secrets: Photographs of Japan by Alan Thomas

While many photographers are documenting urbanization and suburbanization, what's refreshing about Alan's work is that it is a celebration of the unique, quiet spaces that remain. In her review of the Triennial, Browning concludes that, "Masdar...actually does a disservice in making adaptation look beautiful." While the renderings may look slick, it's photographers like Alan who demonstrate what true character looks like: urban pockets of light and shadow—treasures unto themselves.

You can view more work, including the full Open Secrets series, on Alan's website.