a home for all in rikuzentakata, full scale prototype
‘a home for all’ by toyo ito, kumiko inui, sou fujimoto, and akihisa hirata, rikuzentakata, japanimage © kumiko inui
after introducing the various projects in the japanese pavilion of the 2012 venice architecture biennale, the collaborative team of japenese architects including toyo ito, kumiko inui, sou fujimoto, and akihisa hirata have built a full-scale prototype of their gathering house concept open to the public in rikuzentakata. in response to the great east japan earthquake of 2011, the group of architects worked together to explore possible future typologies for japanese coastal cities that may be prone to similar events. using a system of natural wooden columns like pilotis arranged on a regular grid, the volumes are suspended in a three-dimensional matrix like a complex home on stilts with a relationship on both the horizontal and vertical axes of the different layers of the dwelling, sometimes maintaining the orthogonal nature of the foundations while at others exercising the exception. ‘a home for all’ serves as a gathering space for the thousands of people that were left homeless after the devastating natural disaster.
see designboom’s earlier coverage of the japanese exhibition ‘architecture. possible here? a home for all’ at the 2012 venice architecture biennale, here.
interiorimage © kumiko inui
finished houseimage © kumiko inui
timber column and beam substructureimage © kumiko inui
constructionimage © ja+u
image © ja+u
sketch
model displayed at the japanese pavilion of the same housing proposal image © designboom
left to right: architects kumiko inui, akihisa hirata, commissioner toyo ito, architect sou fujimoto image © designboom
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This site is already built on an elevation, it just happens to be flat, overlooking the destroyed sections of town. The very nature of this building is temporary, it is to be a temporary community centre for the residents of Rikuzentakata while they are stuck living inside the cramp spaces of the temporary housing. The tree trunks are salt damage and the trees were dying, so they used these trunks for the temporary structure where the salt damage would have little impact on the structure. I had my doubts at first, but after studying it in depth I am quite impressed by what this building stands for.
I don’t understand this structure in the context off the recent disasters in Japan. This structure appears to be built in spite of the resent disasters that struck Japan. Why tree trunks, why on the ground when it should be, as was earlier noted, in the hills or raised well above ground level. In addition to these questions I can’t help but wonder if these materials are at all practical. It looks like a lot of structure with questionable strength for a little bit of space.
Please forgive me if I am completely missing the point.
At its worst it is an offense to the people that we lost in the disaster.
beautiful project! makes sense!
Interesting concept but wouldn’t you build in the hillsides away from future tsunami flood danger…???
lesson not learnt methinks…
is it a waste of trunk?