Kawatana, a resort in Yamaguchi Prefecture in southern Japan (now part of the city of Shimonoseki), is known for its thermal springs and seafood, including puffer fish. In recent years, for various reasons, the resort has lost its popularity: some of the spa facilities have closed, the number of tourists has decreased, and local residents have begun to leave. In order to remedy the situation, it was decided to build a multifunctional complex, which would include exhibition premises, a hall for celebrations, a museum of traditional culture and folklore, and a tourist information center.
After carefully examining the context, Kengo Kuma proposed a design for a building that naturally follows the contours of the site - the former quarry. Made up of irregular polygons, the building is successfully "disguised" by the outlines of the surrounding mountains. Instead of dividing the building into three functional parts (as required by the program), Kuma created a coherent, flowing space. As a source of inspiration, in addition to the optional communication through haiku exchange and the relaxed atmosphere of thermal baths, the Japanese architect was inspired by blogs with their light, non-hierarchical structure and Twitter - as an idea of a space where you can quickly and easily exchange fresh information. The project in Kavatan is a kind of crossroads where people who are not compatible under other circumstances can meet: local residents, pensioners, residents of sanatoriums, visitors to exhibitions, pilgrims. This work reopens the theme of people meeting in architecture.
In an effort to merge with the mountain landscape, the roof and walls of the building form an extended volume that organically grows out of the ground. The beams of the supporting structures have flat and rounded sides, which makes it possible to connect sections of irregular shape to each other. Steel H-beams are covered with soft plastic and connected to metal spheres. Structural elements are available both in the walls and in the roof. Facades and floors are made of reinforced concrete with a thickness of only 12 centimeters.
A. G.
