Takayanagi Community Center

Abstract

This facility was built in the center of a village laid out according to a circular plan. Made up of thatchroof country houses (minka), Takayanagi is located in a region of Niigata Prefecture known for heavy snowfall. In many ways the design of the community center borrows elements from the country houses that surround it, but Kuma redefined these elements by using contemporary construction techniques and new materials for his building. While the majority of the structure is made of wood, and the roof is covered with thatch, Kuma applied diagonal post-tensioned synthetic tendons as structural means as well as Styrofoam insulation. The interior is separated from the exterior with sheets of locally manufactured Japanese paper (Kadode-washi), used in place of glass or window-sash. Kuma also used this paper to cover the floor and structural elements.