Detail of the PL Peace Tower, standing in a suburb of Osaka, picture shot in 2015 / détail the la Tour de la Paix, érigée en banlieue d'Osaka. Photo prise en 2015.
More info here: https://offbeatjapan.com/great-tower-peace-osaka/
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Nikken Sekkei's Ariake Gymnastics Centre celebrates timber construction
One of the largest timber-framed roofs in the world spans 90 metres over the arena of the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo, designed by Japanese practice Nikken Sekkei for the delayed 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The structure, located a short distance from Tokyo's centre in Koto City, was originally unveiled in 2019 and has been the location for artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics as well as the wheelchair sport Boccia.
The gymnastics centre is located next to a canal in Koto City
Located next to a canal on the site of a former timber storage area, the centre is a celebration of wood and its centrality to traditional Japanese architecture. Around 2,300 cubic metres of sustainable timber are used throughout the building.
"Based on the architectural concept of a wooden vessel floating in the bay area, timber is used wherever possible, specifically in the roof frame structure, facade, spectator seats and exterior walls, while carefully considering the characteristics of wood in each application," said Nikken Sekkei.
Steel columns support the timber concourse
From its base, the centre's inverted pyramid form sweeps upwards to shelter an external concourse below, expressing the shape of the raked seating within with a stepped cladding of horizontal timber planks.
Referencing a traditional engawa, a verandah-like space found in Japanese architecture, the concourse is defined by two rings of steel supports: one vertical surrounding the entrances in the centre and another angled supporting the edge of the roof structure.
Arch-shaped timber beams form the roof span
"By positioning the circulation concourse on the outside of the building and creating an open and broad approach space, the design attempts to avoid the impenetrable exterior typically found on large-scale sports facilities," explained the practice.
The roof structure is formed by a series of large, arch-shaped glue laminated timber beams made using larch from the Nagano and Hokkaido prefectures, spanning a distance of 90 metres between the steel columns of the centre.
"We adopted a simple structure that uses single members of large glue-laminated timber with high heat capacity, rather than trusses containing a number of small members to achieve both fire resistance performance and structural stability," Nikken Sekkei said.
Steel cables attached to this roof structure support the arena's lighting rig, above the glulam stands that can accommodate 12,000 spectators. This number will reduce when the temporary seating is removed following the 2020 Olympic Games.
A timber staircase leads to the seating area
A corrugated steel roof covers the structure, following the form of the timber beams below to create the arena's distinctive undulating roof shape.
The centrepiece of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Japan National Stadium by Kengo Kuma Associates with Taisei Corporation and Azusa Sekkei Co also incorporated an extensive use of timber, with its roof structure made from steel and laminated larch and cedar trusses.
Both of these structures and more featured in Dezeen's roundup of the most architecturally significant buildings in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which took place during summer 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The images are courtesy of Nikken Sekkei.
The post Nikken Sekkei's Ariake Gymnastics Centre celebrates timber construction appeared first on Dezeen.
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Olympic Village Plaza built using 40,000 pieces of donated Japanese timber
Tokyo studio Nikken Sekkei has designed a timber communal building at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games' athletes village, which was built using 40,000 pieces of Japanese wood.
The temporary structure, which will serve as the central meeting place for athletes within the Olympic Village, contains a cafe, bank, medical spaces, lounges, hair salons, retail spaces and a media centre.
Top: the building will be used by athletes, officials and guests. Above: it was constructed using 40,000 pieces of Japanese timber
The 5,300 square-metre communal space is located at the Harumi waterfront district of Tokyo on the eastern side of the athletes' village.
It was constructed from 40,000 pieces of sustainably Japanese cypress, cedar and larch, which were "borrowed" from local governments across the country.
Wood was stacked in layers
"Use of wood from different regions throughout the building will express diversity and harmony," said the Olympics in a press release.
"In addition to revitalising the timber industry and contributing to the conservation of sustainable forests, use of Japanese lumber reflects the goal of reducing environmental impacts and realising sustainability by leaving a legacy that attests to the participation of all regions of the country in the Games."
It has wood interiors
Nikken Sekkei arranged the donated timbers to create a structure that draws on the design aesthetics of traditional Japanese buildings.
It is a low-lying, single-storey structure that is clad in long vertically and horizontally arranged beams and was topped with a corrugated metal roof.
Pieces were marked with the names of the donating areas
Inside, wood was arranged in a lattice formation with the structure of the building celebrated and left exposed.
Each piece of wood used in the building was marked with a stamp that detailed the name of the area it was sourced from.
After the completion of the Games, the structure will be dismantled and wood returned to the donating municipalities to be reused in local construction projects.
"Under the project, lumber borrowed free of charge from local governments across Japan will be used to construct the Village Plaza," said the organisers.
"Then after the Games, lumber from the dismantled Village Plaza will be used as a legacy in local governments' public facilities and elsewhere."
The building pictured during construction
Nikken Sekkei previously collaborated with Japanese timber company Sumitomo Forestry to propose building the world's tallest wooden building in Tokyo.
The studio also designed the Ariake Gymnastics Centre for the Games, one of only a few venues built specifically for the event.
The building will be dismantled and materials reused
The building is part of the Olympic organisers plan to promote sustainable initiatives at the game.
"Engaging the whole country and prioritising environmental sustainability is a core pledge of the Tokyo 2020 Games," said Tokyo 2020 Vice President Toshiaki Endo.
"[This] project is based on these principles, and is the first initiative of the kind in the history of Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Other initiatives aiming to make the Games sustainable include the athletes' beds being created from cardboard frames, podiums made from donated plastic waste and medals made from recycled smartphones.
Images are courtesy of Tokyo 2020.
The post Olympic Village Plaza built using 40,000 pieces of donated Japanese timber appeared first on Dezeen.
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Jonas Delaborde
The Japan Times
Thomas Kyhn Rovsing Hjørnet
dezeen (unofficial)
