shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo + yuta shimada: little hilltop with wind view
capable of swaying on its platform, the viewing tower on the hill of a wind farm seeks to highlight the intangible elements of the site as well as offer panoramic views of the surrounding.
tokyo-based practice shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo architects has shared with us images of ‘little hilltop with wind view’, an 8 meter-tall viewing tower on the hill of a wind farm in shimonoseki city, japan. a collaborative effort with japanese architect yuta shimada, the design offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape that highlights other elements of the site such as the wind, flowers and clouds.
all images courtesy of shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo architects
standing autonomously on site as a white-washed rectangular volume, the tower was conceived to actively interact with the wind by swaying slightly on its platform. intensive structural studies were conducted to come up with a support system that allowed for the desired deformation. the grid frame is constructed from extremely thin steel rods with horizontally-woven networks, giving enough movement for a maximum displacement of 150mm to each side. to maintain the tower’s light and flexible body, both the exterior and interior surfaces were clad in panels of 15mm-thick baked rubber.
approach
interior view
open roof
sitting chair
doorway
in context
steel grid structure during construction
site plan
project info:
principal use: viewing tower / landscape
site area: 1000 m2
built area: 4.16 m2
structure: steel
structural design: jun sato structural engineers
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