イギリスの建築家ノーマン・フォスターによる建築「鎌倉歴史文化交流館」をみているけれど、建築の重要な要素としての「周辺環境との対話」ということで印象的なのが写真の「やぐら」と呼ばれている横穴式墳墓群。日本列島各地でこうした墳墓群は確認できるけれど、ここまで象徴的な空間として存在しているのは稀有な体験。
　Wikipediaでは「横穴墓とは一般に台地や丘陵の斜面に高さ2メートル前後、奥行数メートルの洞窟=横穴を掘り、その中に人間を埋葬した墓のことである。古代東アジアなどでもみられるが、日本では考古学用語として、主に古墳時代に現れたこのタイプの墓制を指してこの呼称が用いられる。」とある。
　この鎌倉の高台で背景としての山塊縁部という立地環境からは、列島での人類史の断面が強く迫ってくる。海との暮らしの象徴として、この地での永い人間居住痕跡を伝えてくれているのだ。
　日本列島社会ではこうした精神性空間の伝統がながく存在し、建築の根源的な動機を形成してきたのだろうと思う。古墳や社寺建築にはこういった精神性へのリスペクトが強く根付いている。いやこうした洞窟自体が一種の「宗教建築」なのだろう。


　こういう環境の織りなす空気感に人は相当に刺激を受けたに違いない。仏教寺院群も周辺にあり、源氏の関東での拠点として源頼義、義家がどうしてこの地に強く惹かれたかもわかる。強い精神性が伝わってくるのだ。頼朝が関東の武士団を統御して武権を確立させていく根拠地としてここがふさわしいと考えたのもわかる。
　そしてはるかな後世、この敷地環境とめぐり会った建築家のインスピレーションをも強く刺激したに違いない。いまはこの建物の「庭」として床面には石畳が敷かれているけれど、石という素材の連続が石の壁が特徴的な建物内部まで貫徹してきて、いかにも環境と対話するというイメージが完結している。
　だからこそ建築家は石にこだわり、それもヨーロッパ西洋の石素材をこの環境の中に対置し、対話させようという動機を持ったのではないだろうか。
　翻って、北海道ではこういった建築の動機、宗教性の際だった建築空間というのはあまりない。辛うじて江戸期の「蝦夷三官寺」が想起される程度。札幌などは西洋近代思想によって根源から作られた計画都市。そこでの「環境との対話」とは、より具体的な温熱環境に集約されていったのだけれど、関東ではこうした精神性が基底的動機を形成していたということでしょう。
　関東は北海道人にとっては、北海道開拓に1000年以上先行して「開拓・開発」が進展した地域と思えるのですが、こういう精神文化性というものの方がはるかに優勢だったのだと教えられた次第。

English version⬇

Dialogue Architecture with “Yagura,” a Horizontal Anaerobic Tomb Kamakura Historical and Cultural Exchange Museum-3
Kanto was “pioneered and developed” more than 1,000 years before Hokkaido. However, the architectural motive has a strong spirituality and religiosity, which is in contrast to Hokkaido, where such motives are rare. This is in contrast to Hokkaido, where there are few such buildings. …

While viewing the “Kamakura History and Culture Exchange Center” by British architect Norman Foster, I was struck by the “dialogue with the surrounding environment” as an important architectural element: the “yagura,” a group of horizontal hole tombs shown in the photo. Such tomb complexes can be found throughout the Japanese archipelago, but it is a rare experience to see them as symbolic spaces.
　According to Wikipedia, “A yokoana-teomb is a tomb in which a person is buried in a cave, generally about 2 meters high and several meters deep, dug into the slope of a plateau or hillside. This type of tomb is also found in ancient East Asia, but in Japan, this term is used as an archaeological term to refer to this type of tomb system, which appeared mainly during the Kofun period. The text reads, “The tombs of the Kofun period were mainly of this type.
　The location of this site, on a hill in Kamakura with a mountainous rim in the background, strongly suggests a cross-section of human history in the archipelago. As a symbol of life with the sea, it conveys the traces of long human habitation in the region.
　I believe that this tradition of spiritual space has existed for a long time in Japanese society and has formed the fundamental motivation for architecture. Respect for this kind of spirituality is strongly rooted in the architecture of ancient tombs, shrines, and temples. In fact, these caves themselves are a kind of “religious architecture.

People must have been considerably stimulated by the atmosphere created by this kind of environment. There are also Buddhist temples in the vicinity, which explains why Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Minamoto no Yoshie were so attracted to this area as the base of the Minamoto clan in the Kanto region. The area conveys a strong spirituality. It is also understandable why Yoritomo thought that this site was suitable as a base for controlling the Kanto warrior groups and establishing his military authority.
　It must have also strongly inspired the architects who came across this site in later times. Today, cobblestones are laid on the floor as the “garden” of the building, but the continuity of the stone material penetrates into the interior of the building, which is characterized by its stone walls, completing the image of a dialogue with the environment.
　This is why the architects were so concerned with stone, and why they were so motivated to place European and Western stone materials in dialogue with this environment.
　In Hokkaido, on the other hand, there are few architectural spaces that stand out for this kind of architectural motivation or religiosity. The “Ezo Sankan-ji” of the Edo period (1603-1868) barely comes to mind. Sapporo, for example, is a planned city created from the ground up by modern Western thought. In Sapporo, for example, the “dialogue with the environment” was more focused on the specific thermal environment, whereas in Kanto, this mentality formed the basic motivation.
　Kanto is considered by Hokkaido people as a region where “pioneering and development” progressed more than 1,000 years before the development of Hokkaido, but I was taught that this kind of spirituality and culture was much more predominant in Kanto.
　

Posted on 4月 7th, 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, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

Apple社新社屋を設計し、爵位を持つ貴族で大企業経営もするというイギリスを代表する建築家、ノーマン・フォスター氏が設計した住宅建築が鎌倉にあり用途を変えて博物館的な施設になっている。以前から一度、参観機会があればと思っていましたが、最近ようやく探訪することができた。それがこの建物「鎌倉歴史文化交流館」です。
個人住宅として資産家の方がかれに設計を依頼し、その後いろいろな経緯があって鎌倉市がこのような用途で利用しているのですね。昨日の記事で紹介した「畠山重忠」のレプリカ甲冑はこちらの施設にて展示されていました。歴史好きのわたしにとってはまことに一石二鳥の探訪であります。
きのうも書いたのですがNHK大河で昨年好評だった鎌倉幕府創設期の人間ドラマに魅せられていたので、この「鎌倉歴史文化交流館」でも関連のイベントが行われていたこともあって、これはいい機会だと思っていたのですが、残念ながらすれ違いで参観できなかった、今回はようやく果たせたリベンジ機会。
そういうことなので、最近のルポの流れ、安藤忠雄、堀部安嗣、隈研吾に続いてこの建築と鎌倉の歴史について、新シリーズとして紹介します。
建築というのは周辺環境との対話という側面が強くあって、異邦人が他国の文化領域に関与するにはある緊張感があるだろうと思います。そういう意味では施主さんとノーマン・フォスター氏の関係性も考慮しなければならないかと思いますが、超高級住宅とはいえ個人住宅であり、手放されたあとなのでプライバシーのこともあって、余人にはあまり立ち入ることができない。日本を代表する文化人とだけ記載します。
鎌倉の一等地、裏山のような庭地をあわせて敷地は4500坪。本棟の建物延べ床面積は1137.77㎡（340坪）別棟は267.56㎡（81坪）。

鎌倉という街は関東の中にあっても特別な場所という感覚がある。そもそも歴史的には源氏が関東に根を下ろす拠点になった地域であり、南面する海浜以外の３方向が堅固に山に囲まれた城塞のような地形。ただその分、土地は究極的に狭い。明治以降は日本の文化人たちが争うように土地を求めてブランド性を高めたこともあって高級住宅地域化していった。
鎌倉に家を持つということは、明治以降の日本人にとって究極の夢と見なされて来続けた。この建物は鶴岡八幡宮からも数百メートル、市役所からも近く、クルマで訪問したわたしは市役所駐車場を利用させていただいた。（同館には身障者用以外の駐車場はない）そうした立地環境でしかも背景の山地に向かって徐々にせり上がっていく高台に位置しているので海への眺望も抜群。
立地からしてもまことに超高級住宅という環境にある。北海道人としてはその歴史的経緯など、到底思慮の及ばない世界が展開している（笑）。興味津々・・・。

English version⬇

Explore the Norman Foster-designed “Kamakura History and Culture Exchange Center”-1
Located on a hill overlooking the sea in Kamakura, a few hundred meters from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. The building was designed by a British architect with a knighthood, who changed the use of a high-class residence of a certain personage. The building was designed by a British architect with a title of nobility.

The residential building designed by Norman Foster, a leading British architect who designed the new Apple building and is also a knighted aristocrat and large business owner, is located in Kamakura and has been converted to a museum-like facility with different uses. I had hoped to have a chance to visit the building once before, and recently I was finally able to explore it. It is this building, the Kamakura History and Culture Exchange Center.
I understand that a wealthy family commissioned him to design it as a private residence, and afterwards, due to various circumstances, Kamakura City has been using it for this purpose. Yesterday, I visited the replica exhibition of the armor of “Shigetada Hatakeyama,” and as a history buff, it was a great opportunity for me to kill two birds with one stone.
As I mentioned yesterday, I was fascinated by the human drama of the founding period of the Kamakura Shogunate that was popular on NHK’s historical TV program last year, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to visit the Kamakura History and Culture Exchange Center, where there was also a related event. This was my chance for revenge.
As such, I would like to introduce a new series of reports on the history of architecture and Kamakura, following the recent reports by Tadao Ando, Yasutsugu Horibe, and Kengo Kuma.
Architecture is a strong aspect of dialogue with the surrounding environment, and I think there must be a certain tension for a foreigner to get involved in another country’s cultural realm. In this sense, the relationship between the client and Mr. Norman Foster must be taken into consideration. Even though it is a very high-class residence, it is a private residence, and since it has since been given away, it is not accessible to strangers due to privacy concerns. I will only mention that he is a representative cultural figure in Japan.
The site, including the prime location in Kamakura and the back garden land, is 4,500 tsubo. The total floor area of the main building is 1137.77 m2 (340 tsubo) and the annex building is 267.56 m2 (81 tsubo).

There is a sense that Kamakura is a special place even within the Kanto region. Historically, the area was the base for the Minamoto clan to put down roots in the Kanto region, and the terrain is like a fortress, surrounded by mountains on three sides except for the beach on the southern side. However, because of this, the land is ultimately small. Since the Meiji era (1868-1912), the area has become a high-class residential area, partly because Japanese cultural figures competed for the land and enhanced their brand image.
Owning a house in Kamakura has been regarded as the ultimate dream of the Japanese since the Meiji period. The building is located a few hundred meters from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and close to City Hall, so I visited by car and used the City Hall parking lot. （The building is located on a hill that rises gradually toward the mountains in the background, offering an excellent view of the sea.
The location of the house makes it a truly high-class residential environment. As a Hokkaido native, the historical background of the area is beyond my comprehension (laughs). I am very interested in it.

Posted on 4月 5th, 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 »

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 »