隈研吾の梼原町での建築の最初は「雲の上のホテル」だったそうですが、現在まだ建て替え工事中。やむなく写真の町営ホテル「まちの駅ゆすはら」に宿泊させていただいた。ただ、温泉設備はないのでいったん外出して、記事掲載した「雲の上のギャラリー」に隣接する温泉に入浴してから帰ってきた。
さすがに当日高知市から各所を回っての宿泊なのでかなり肉体疲労。温泉施設までの距離は往復20分程度なのですが、自然豊かな梼原なので市街地エリアはほんのちょっとで信号待ちも１回程度。あまり距離感は感じなかった。また温泉施設での露天風呂も、いかにも雲の上の温泉っぽくて抜群の眺望でついついウットリした気分に。就寝をここちよく誘ってくれたので、ホテル帰還後、寝心地もよくバタンキュー。
ということだったのでホテルの施設についてチェックは不十分だった。ワークデスク周りの電源コンセント位置や、照明とベッド配置について疑問を感じる部分もあって勝手が違ったりもした次第。また水回り・バスルームの床面が仕切りが明確でなかったので、ちょっと足下に不都合を感じた。まぁご愛敬。
１月時期、南国とはいえ、雲の上という高地なので一部には積雪も見られていたのですが、エアコン暖房でそこそこは寝心地よく休めた。


で、朝方めざめて窓カーテンを開けてみたら、アルミサッシ窓はごらんのような状況。建築データなどのディテールまで確認していませんが、いかにも蒸暑地的な開口部材選択だったようです。ガラスは単板で網入り。網入りと言うことは市街地としての仕様条件・選択だったと思われます。
ちなみに梼原町の年平均気温グラフは上図の通り、１月だと最低気温はマイナス１度。温暖地域では防寒仕様の樹脂サッシなどの流通は少なく、価格面でも都度取り寄せ的流通実態を反映して高額にならざるを得ないのが現実だとは思います。
以前、九州北部、博多近郊のリゾートホテルに正月の家族旅行で宿泊して、いかにも開放的な窓一面に結氷が発生していた宿泊経験があります。冬に温暖地域を旅する北国人はこういう現実にも出会う。冬の温暖地域旅行では、ある意味、覚悟しておく必要がある。
北海道十勝でLIXILさんの敷地内で「メーム」という誌的なネーミングのモデル建築・アイヌ語由来の「水の畔の家」を建てた隈研吾設計として期待していたのですが、・・・。まぁ町発注の公共建築であり、いろいろな仕様条件などの制約の中での選択なのだろうかと思います。

English version⬇

Hotel stay in Yusuhara and Kengo Kuma, Shikoku, in January.
The lowest temperature was -1°C. Even in Tosa-Kochi Prefecture, the highlands in the mountains have cold conditions with snowfall. What are the actual specifications for insulation and openings? ・・・・・.

Kengo Kuma’s first building in Yusuhara was the “Hotel on Clouds,” but it is still under reconstruction. We were forced to stay at the town hotel in the photo, “Machi-no-Eki Yusuhara. However, there are no hot spring facilities, so I went out and took a bath in the hot spring adjacent to the “Gallery Above the Clouds,” which was featured in the article, before returning home.
As one might expect, we were physically exhausted after traveling from Kochi City to various places on the day of our stay. The distance to the hot spring facility is about a 20-minute round trip, but because Yusuhara is rich in nature, the city area is only a short distance away, so I did not feel much distance. The open-air baths at the Yusuhara hot spring facilities were like a hot spring above the clouds, with an outstanding view that made me feel like I was in a good mood and invited me to go to bed, so I was able to sleep comfortably after my hotel stay.
I was so comfortable that I went to bed and fell asleep in a slumber after my hotel stay. I had some doubts about the location of power outlets around the work desk, and about the lighting and bed placement, which made me feel out of place. Also, the floor of the bathroom was not clearly partitioned, so I felt a little uncomfortable under my feet. Well, I’ll leave it at that.
In January, even though it was in a tropical area, there was snow in some parts because of the high altitude above the clouds, but I was able to rest comfortably sleeping there with the air conditioner heating.

When I woke up in the morning and opened the window curtains, I found that the aluminum sash windows were in the same condition as you can see. I did not check the details of the building data, but it seems that the choice of the opening material was very typical for a hot and humid climate. The glass is single-pane and screened. The glass is single pane and screened. The fact that it is screened suggests that it was selected for urban conditions and specifications.
Incidentally, the annual average temperature graph for Yusuhara is as shown above, with the lowest temperature in January being minus 1 degree Celsius. In warmer regions, there are few cold-resistant plastic sashes in circulation, and I think the reality is that the price must be high, reflecting the fact that the sashes are ordered on a case-by-case basis.
I once stayed at a resort hotel near Hakata in northern Kyushu for a New Year’s family vacation, and found ice forming all over the open windows. This is the kind of reality that northerners who travel to warm regions in winter encounter. In a sense, you need to be prepared for this when traveling to warm regions in winter.
I had high expectations for this project as designed by Kengo Kuma, who built a model building, “House by the Water” of Ainu origin, with the magazine-like name “Meme” on the site of LIXIL in Tokachi, Hokkaido, but ……. Well, it is a public building ordered by the town, and I guess it was chosen under the restrictions of various specifications and conditions.

Posted on 4月 3rd, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 出張＆旅先にて | No Comments »

梼原と隈研吾建築の探究。本日は公共建築そのもの、梼原町総合庁舎。訪問出来たのは正月の休みだったので非公開時期。なので以下に建築データの掲載と「公共建築賞」という賞で「優秀賞・四国地区」を受賞した講評PDFが発見できたのでそれをもとに記載します。
・敷地面積：6,020.94㎡　建築面積：1,628.25㎡　延床面積：2,970.79㎡
・構造・階数：W造一部RC造　地上２階　塔屋１階地下１階
・設計者：慶應義塾大学理工学部システムデザイン工学科＋隈研吾建築都市設計事務所
・施工者：飛島・ミタニ建設工事JV　竣工：平成18年10月　総工事費：1,222百万円
●講評：平成18年に完工した「梼原町総合庁舎」は「森林文化社会」を基盤にした「環境モデル都市梼原」のランドマークに相応しい優れた木造公共建築物であり美しい。梼原には、僅か10㎡ 程度の「茶堂」と呼ばれる旅人をもてなす歴史的施設が、今日でも多く現存している。
この総合庁舎は高知県最奥、県境にあるこの地を訪れる人々の心のランドマークであり、且つ町民のコミュニケーションスペースとしての機能を併せ持った現代の茶堂である。１階のガラス大扉は開放が可能で、時に庁舎ロビーと庁舎前の広場が一体となった祝祭空間が出現する。
庁舎は役所ではなく日常のコミュニティスペースであり、かつ桃源郷のように設えられ周辺一連の木造建築物群の臍となっている。しかも庁舎の構造体や内装は、最大限地場の木材を活用した設計となっている。
構造体には、自然空調を前提とした木造ダブルラティス構造による外部環境と呼吸できる仕組みや,太陽光発電、氷蓄熱、木製受水槽、木材断熱機密（原文ママ）サッシュやブラインドが組み込まれ、CASBEE評価Sランクを得ることに成功している。ともあれ収縮する一方の地域や地方の、深めるという新たな豊かさを確立する方向が力強く空間表現されたこの建築物は、深刻でネガティブになりやすいこうした地方に、新風をもたらす契機となろう。 （涌井史郎委員）



・・・という解説。「木造ダブルラティス構造による外部環境と呼吸できる仕組み」氷蓄熱や「木材断熱機密（原文ママ）サッシュ」というような部分に興味も持つので、今後機会があれば詳細を確認したい。
さらに以下に地元のひとの感想が寄せられていたので、要旨を抜粋。
〜正面壁はその多くがガラス張り。中に入ると広い吹き抜け。外光を取り入れる工夫がされ開放感を満喫できる。アトリウム中央には茶室。おもてなしの心で来訪者を迎える梼原町ならではの趣向。アトリウムには柱時計がかけられ定時に津野山神楽の音楽が流れる。津野山神楽は国重要無形民俗文化財指定。1100年の歴史を舞い継がれてきたもので町民のこころの拠り所。〜
再訪機会があれば、わたしも津野山神楽の音楽を体験してみたいと思った。

English version⬇

Yusuhara General Office Building with Kagura music Yusuhara, Shikoku and Kengo Kuma-8
The architecture that could not be visited inside. The publicly announced critique of the “Public Architecture Award, Excellence Prize” is introduced. I would like to hear the music of Tsunoyama Kagura that is played at regular intervals. Architecture and music. Architecture and Music.

Exploration of Yusuhara and Kengo Kuma’s architecture. Today, we will be visiting the public building itself, the Yusuhara Town Hall. I was able to visit during the New Year’s vacation, so it is not open to the public. The following is a list of architectural data and a PDF file of the critique of the building that won the “Public Architecture Award” in the Shikoku region.
Site area: 6,020.94 m2 Building area: 1,628.25 m2 Gross floor area: 2,970.79 m2
Structure/No. of floors: W, partly RC, 2 floors above ground, 1 basement floor and 1 tower floor
Architect: Department of System Design Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University + Kengo Kuma Architectural & Urban Design Office
Contractor: Tobishima-Mitani Construction JV Completion: October 2006 Total construction cost: 1,222 million yen
The Yusuhara Town Hall, completed in 2006, is a beautiful wooden public building that is a landmark of the “Environmental Model City Yusuhara” based on a “forest culture society. In Yusuhara, there are still many historic facilities that provide hospitality to travelers, called “chado,” which are only about 10 square meters in size.
The large glass doors on the first floor can be opened to create a festive space that combines the lobby of the town hall with the plaza in front of the building.
The government building is not a government office, but an everyday community space, and is set up like a paradise, becoming the umbilical cord of a series of wooden buildings in the surrounding area. Moreover, the structure and interior of the government building are designed to make maximum use of local timber.
The structure incorporates a wooden double lattice structure that allows the building to breathe with the outside environment and is naturally air-conditioned, as well as photovoltaic power generation, ice thermal storage, a wooden water tank, and wood-insulated, heat-tight sashes and blinds, and has successfully received a CASBEE S-rank rating. This building is a powerful spatial expression of the direction of establishing a new affluence of deepening in a shrinking region or region, and may be an opportunity to bring new life to these regions, which tend to be serious and negative. (Mr. Shiro Wakui, Committee Member)

I would be interested in such parts as ice thermal storage and “wood-insulated, confidential (original text) sash”. I am also interested in the “wooden double lattice structure that breathes with the external environment,” the ice thermal storage, and the “wood insulated confidential sash,” so I would like to check the details if I have a chance in the future.
I would like to check the details at a future opportunity.
〜The front wall is mostly made of glass. The front walls are mostly made of glass, and when you enter the building, you will see a wide atrium. The atrium is designed to let in outside light, allowing visitors to enjoy a sense of openness. In the center of the atrium is a tea ceremony room. This is a unique feature of Yusuhara, a town that welcomes visitors with hospitality. A pillar clock hangs in the atrium, and music from Tsunoyama Kagura is played at regular intervals. Tsunoyama Kagura, designated as a nationally important intangible folk cultural asset, has been performed for 1,100 years and is a spiritual center for the people of Yusuhara. 〜I hope to return to Tsunoyama Kagura when I have a chance.
If I have a chance to visit again, I would like to experience the inside.

Posted on 4月 1st, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

ブログでの全国の建築体験ルポ。あんまり事前知識を入れることなく、実際に触れるた感触を起点にして記事をまとめていくのは、ユーザー視点を最優先する手法でもある。
住宅雑誌人としては公共大型建築とかは守備範囲とは言い難いのですが、類縁性はきわめて高い領域として強い興味を持っている。それと公開性があるので、住宅のように慎重な取材プロセスの必要がない。肩の力を抜いて探訪できるありがたい存在。
「M2」（東京の環八に沿って建つ自動車メーカーのデザイン・ラボ）というポストモダニズムRC建築を発表して、当時の建築批評で散々に叩かれ意気消沈していた隈研吾氏は、この梼原で木造世界からの救済の福音を感じた。森林面積が91%にもなる檮原町では過疎の町として木の魅力、木造のルネッサンスを強く訴求したかった。この両者の願いが「木を感じさせる」コンセプトとして建築作品群に結実したのでしょう。
この「梼原町立図書館」は屋根からたくさんの樹林が下りてくるちょっと不思議な体験感が迫ってくる。WEB上でChatGTPでもまだ記述はそれほど確認できないけれど（笑）、わかってきたのは以下のようなポイント。
これは四叉菱格子（よんさひしごうし）と呼ばれる工法で、その一本一本に荷重を分散させることで、高い耐震性を備えている。幹と枝のような無数の木組み。これは単なる飾りではなく、四方に延びる枝の一本一本が重さを分散し、耐震性に優れた構造体だということ。
で、この梼原での隈研吾建築群について学術論文があり、木組みについての研究も発見できた。「独立行政法人 国立高等専門学校機構高知工業専門学校学術紀要 第65号」。研究者名は三橋修氏・金山将氏。このなかに以下のような記述。
「＜地獄組部分詳細図＞は、水平、垂直ではない木を組むための職人に伝わる手法である。地獄組という呼称からわかるように一度組んだら二度と外れない謂れ（いわれ）のある木組である。図書館の内部空間に一本の柱である木から枝分かれしたように枝が天井を覆い、森の中にいるイメージ効果を与える。」
わたしは太宰府で木組みが店舗の全空間を覆いつくす隈研吾建築「スターバックスコーヒー太宰府天満宮表参道店」を体験したことがあるけれど、今回のブログシリーズでこれらの空間体験に１本の筋道が見えてきた。いま現在隈研吾事務所はたいへんな仕事集中ぶりだそうですが、地域資源として木材活用を願っている全国自治体の思惑というのもどうも完全符合してくると思える次第。
さて公共的建築での空間体験として、ユーザー目線ではどういう見方が出来るだろうか。

English version⬇

Yusuhara, Shikoku and Kengo Kuma – 6
Did the architect, who had realized the limitations of RC construction, hear the cries of the trees in Yusuhara and strongly feel the beginnings of a wooden renaissance? Yusuhara and Kengo Kuma

A reportage of architectural experiences in Japan on a blog. The articles are compiled without much prior knowledge, starting from the feeling of actually touching the building, a method that prioritizes the user’s viewpoint.
As a housing magazine writer, it is difficult to say that large public buildings are my area of expertise, but I have a strong interest in this field, which is highly analogous to the field of architecture. And because of its openness, it does not require the same careful interview process as housing. I am grateful to be able to explore the area with a relaxed mind.
Kengo Kuma, who had been disheartened by the criticism of the time for his postmodernist RC building, “M2” (a design lab for an automobile manufacturer along Tokyo’s Kanpachi beltway), felt the gospel of salvation from the wooden world in Yusuhara. As a depopulated town, Yusuhara, which is 91% forested, wanted to strongly promote the appeal of wood and the renaissance of wood construction. Both of these wishes must have resulted in the concept of “feeling the wood” in the architectural works.
This ‘Yusuhara Library’ has a slightly mysterious experience of many trees descending from the roof, and although the description cannot yet be confirmed so much on ChatGTP on the web (laughs), what I have come to understand are the following points.
This is a construction method called Yonsa Hishigoshi (四叉菱格子), which has high earthquake resistance by distributing the load to each of its individual pieces. Numerous wooden structures like trunks and branches. This is not mere decoration; each branch extending in all four directions distributes the weight, making the structure highly earthquake resistant.
I found an academic paper on Kengo Kuma’s architectural group in Yusuhara, and I was able to discover his research on timber framing. The article is titled “Academic Bulletin of Kochi National College of Technology, No. 65. The researchers’ names are Osamu Mitsuhashi and Masaru Kanayama. The following description is found in the book.
The “Jigokumi-Part Detail Drawing” is a technique handed down by craftsmen for building wood that is not horizontal or vertical. As you can see from the name “jigokumiai,” it is a woodworking technique that, once assembled, can never be removed. In the interior space of the library, branches cover the ceiling as if they have branched off from a single post of wood, giving the effect of being in a forest.
I have experienced Kengo Kuma’s “Starbucks Coffee Dazaifu Tenmangu Omotesando” in Dazaifu, where the wooden structure covers the entire space of the store, and this blog series has helped me to see the path to these spatial experiences. I hear that Kengo Kuma’s office is currently very busy with work, which seems to be perfectly in line with the desire of local governments throughout Japan to utilize wood as a local resource.
What is the user’s perspective on the spatial experience of public architecture?

Posted on 3月 30th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

ブログの四国・梼原の隈研吾建築シリーズは本日は小休止。
ちょうど用件がいくつか重なっていたので東京出張していました。昨日帰還。3/23に東京に来てからちょうどサクラのシーズンだと言うことを思い出された。上の２枚の写真は上野で、下１枚は目黒川in中目黒。とくに上野では公園を歩いていて回りから日本語がほとんど聞かれない状態。感覚的にはほぼ半数が外国からの方ではないかと思われた。
以前のようにやたら中国語ばかり、ということではなく欧米人や幅広くアジアなど世界中の民族と思えるひとたちの喧噪が響いておりました。ここのところ円安から日本ツアー費用が下がってきているのか、それともサクラ時期に東京に来るのが随分遠ざかっていたわたしが知らなかっただけで、いまや日本の花見文化は世界に知られているということなのか。
花見文化、サクラ文化は日本史で連綿と繋がってきている。江戸・東京では河川の洪水対策で土盛りして築堤するに当たってその上にサクラを植樹した。それが春になって開花するとたくさんの花見客が土手に集まって、酒に酔って踊ったりすることで地面を踏み固め堤の地盤強化された、という説がある。DNAに染みついている日本人の花見文化を利用して都市計画した、というのですね。
まぁそれくらい根がらみな日本のサクラ文化が、世界の人にどんなふうに受け入れられているのか非常に興味深い。これほどにたくさんの海外観光客が押し寄せていることから、文化資産として活用出来ることは確実ですね。
資源によって産業は勃興するけれど、観光資源というのはちょっと考え方が違う。やはりその国、国民の文化風土が最大の財産であり、花を愛でるこころが最大のポイントなのでしょう。さらには日本人の花見でのマナーというのも稀有なのだと言われます。
国名は伏せますが、一時期爆買いなどと言われた人たち。わたしも数回目にしたくらいですから多発していたのでしょうが、カメラポーズの一種としてか、サクラの枝を鷲づかみして揺すってサクラを落花させてその「桜吹雪」ぶりを写真に収めようと考える不埒な光景を目にしていた。ひどい場合にはサクラを折って振り回したりしていた。
目にしたときにはさすがにわたしは「やめろ！」と声を上げてしまっていました。数人の男と撮影対象の若い女性という多人数。一瞬、仕掛けてくるかとは思ったけれど、こういう場合にはストリートファイトもやむを得ないと思っていました。（幸い、かれらも自制してくれた）
こういうマナーは日本人は保守している。良きマナーはぜひ輸出したいと思います。

English version⬇

Japanese cherry blossom viewing gatherings from around the world
Hanami, the extreme point of Japanese culture with its distinct four seasons. The manner of appreciating flowers is also excellent. We would like to make the most of this cultural asset for Japan’s economy. Japan

The blog series on Kengo Kuma’s architecture in Yusuhara, Shikoku, takes a short break today.
I was on a business trip to Tokyo just as I had some overlapping matters to attend to. Returning yesterday, I was reminded that it is just the season for sakura (cherry blossoms) since I arrived in Tokyo on March 23. The top two photos are in Ueno and the bottom one is Meguro River in Nakameguro. Especially in Ueno, I could hardly hear Japanese around me when I was walking in the park. My sense was that almost half of the visitors were from other countries.
The noise was not the same as in the past, where Chinese was the language of choice, but rather the bustle of people from all over the world, including Europeans, Americans, and a wide range of other Asian ethnic groups. Is it because the cost of touring Japan has been going down recently due to the weak yen, or is it because I have been away from coming to Tokyo during the cherry blossom season for so long that I was unaware that the Japanese hanami culture is now well known throughout the world?
Hanami culture and sakura culture have been linked to each other throughout Japanese history. In Edo and Tokyo, when rivers were flooded and embankments were built, cherry trees were planted on top of them. It is said that when cherry blossoms bloomed in spring, many cherry blossom-viewing visitors gathered on the banks and danced and drank to strengthen the ground on which the embankments were built.
It is very interesting to see how the Japanese sakura culture, which is so deeply rooted in the Japanese culture, is accepted by people around the world. With so many foreign tourists flocking to the area, it is certain that it can be utilized as a cultural asset.
Industries rise from resources, but tourism resources are a bit different in concept. The cultural climate of the country and its people is the most important asset, and the spirit of flower-loving is probably the most important point. Furthermore, it is said that the manner in which Japanese people view cherry blossoms is also a rarity.
I won’t mention the name of the country, but at one time people were said to be buying cherry blossoms in Japan. I have seen this behavior several times myself, so it must have happened frequently. I have seen people grab cherry blossom branches by the eagle and shake them to make them drop their blossoms and capture the “sakura blizzard” in their photos. In the worst case, they would break the sakura and swing them around.
When I saw them, I shouted, “Stop! I shouted out. There was a large number of people: several men and a young woman who was the target of the photo shoot. For a moment, I thought they were going to attack me, but I knew that in such a case, I had no choice but to fight them. (Fortunately, they restrained themselves.)
These manners are maintained by the Japanese. I would like to export good manners by all means.

Posted on 3月 28th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

梼原での隈研吾建築、きっかけとなったゆすはら座に続いてはこちらの建物。高知方面から「雲の上」と表現されるほどの高地にある梼原へは約80kmほど。高速は途中でなくなるので、一般道の山道を辿ることになる。高知県から愛媛県方面への「山越え陸路」の最大中継点・要衝ということでしょう。
実際に土佐を脱藩し陸路長崎を目指した坂本龍馬は、この道を通った。龍馬脱藩の道、というスポットも名高い。隈研吾建築でも「雲の上」という表現がいくつかあるけれど、ローカルな呼称として定着しているのでしょうか。
この建物は梼原の市街地に至る最後のトンネルの手前側にある。トンネルを抜けて梼原の街に出会ったときの「突然目の前に立ち現れる」というような梼原についての隈研吾の印象を記したがわたしたちもほぼ同様の感覚を抱いた。
この独特の形状の建築は公営の温泉施設に隣接してもいるので、他地域からの来訪者にはポピュラーな「地域のシンボル」的なものと理解される。「よく来たね」みたいな。
「小断面の集成材を集積させるデザインを追究していく中で両端から「刎木〜はねき（木造建築の小屋組の中で、軒先をはね上げるようにしてささえている材）」を何本も重ねながら持ち出して橋桁を乗せていく「刎橋」という忘れられた架構形式を採用した。」

「これを敷地の地形に適応させるために、鉛直荷重（建物に働く荷重のうち重力と同じ方向に働くもののこと。建物の自重、積載荷重、積雪荷重など）を受ける橋脚を中心として両端のバランスを取ることで「やじろべえ型刎橋」と言うべき新たな架構形式が出来上がった。崖上の端部には同様の架構を逆さにしたような屋根形式のアトリエギャラリーが併設されている。」
というように隈研吾からの説明があったけれど、建築デザインとしていかにも「木組みの素肌」が感じられる。ゆすはら座でのインスピレーションが、こういうデザイン手法を発展させたことが視覚的にも追認できると思われた。アトリエギャラリーという建築用途ということも考え合わせてみると、調和感があって面白い。

すぐ上の写真はゆすはら座の内観。個人的には天井の格天井（太い角材を井げた状に組んで正方形をつくり、その上に板などを張ったりはめ込んだりした天井）の木組みが大空間に木の素肌を見せて、なおしっかりと屋根からの荷重を支えているような印象とアナロジーさせられた。日本建築の骨格を支えてきた木造の技術、その施工の精妙さをデザインとしても昇華させてみたいという隈研吾の創造姿勢は共感できると思われた。
あしたもこの木組みの架構ぶりを写真表現などで紹介してみたい。

English version⬇

Wooden Bridge Museum “Gallery Above the Clouds” Yusuhara, Shikoku and Kengo Kuma-3
Kengo Kuma’s creative policy is to sublimate the traditional Japanese wooden construction techniques that have maintained the large Yusuharaza space in terms of design. …

Following the Kengo Kuma building in Yusuhara and the Yusuharaza that inspired it is this building. Yusuhara, which is located at a height so high that it is described as “above the clouds” from the Kochi area, is about 80 kilometers away. The expressway runs out on the way, so you will have to follow the mountain roads of ordinary roads. It is probably the largest relay point and key point of the “overland route over mountains” from Kochi Prefecture to the Ehime Prefecture area.
In fact, Ryoma Sakamoto, who escaped from Tosa and headed for Nagasaki overland, took this road. It is also famous as the “Road of Ryoma’s Departure from the Domain. There are several expressions in Kengo Kuma’s architecture that say “above the clouds,” but I wonder if it has become a local term of endearment.
This building is located on the front side of the last tunnel leading to downtown Yusuhara. Kengo Kuma described his impression of Yusuhara as “suddenly appearing in front of you” when he passed through the tunnel and encountered the city of Yusuhara, and we had almost the same feeling.
This uniquely shaped building is adjacent to a public hot spring facility, so visitors from other areas understand it as a popular “symbol of the area. Visitors from other areas will understand it as a popular “symbol of the community,” as if to say, “Welcome!
In pursuit of a design that integrates small sections of laminated wood, we adopted a forgotten structural form called a “decapitation bridge,” in which a series of “decapitation timbers” (timbers that support the eaves of a wooden structure by lifting them up) are brought out from both ends and placed on the bridge girders.

In order to adapt the bridge to the topography of the site, a new structure called the “Yajirobe-type decapitation bridge” was constructed by balancing the vertical load (the load acting on the building in the same direction as gravity. The bridge is balanced at both ends around the piers, which are subject to the building’s own weight, loading, snow loads, etc.), resulting in a new structure form that should be called a “Yajirobe-type decapitation bridge”. At the edge of the cliff is an atelier gallery with an inverted roof form of the same type of structure.
Kengo Kuma explained that the building was designed with “the bare skin of the wooden structure. It is visually evident that the inspiration for the Yusuhara-za building led to the development of this kind of design technique. When we consider the architectural use of the building as an atelier gallery, it is interesting to see the sense of harmony.

The photo immediately above is an interior view of Yusuhara-za. Personally, I was struck by the wooden ceiling (a square made of thick square timbers assembled in the shape of a well, on top of which boards and other materials are attached or inserted) that shows the bare wood surface in the large space and yet firmly supports the load from the roof. Kengo Kuma’s creative approach of sublimating the wooden technology that has supported the framework of Japanese architecture and the exquisiteness of its construction into design is something I can relate to.
I would like to introduce this wooden structure through photographs and other forms of expression in the future.

Posted on 3月 26th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »