Type : Laboratory
Location : Wakayama, Japan
Froor Area ： 1290 (sqｍ)
Structure ： Reinforced Concrete
floors ： 2
Competition entry project, a laboratory for Kumagusu Minakata who was a giant of natural history and folklore in Japan.
Paying respect to his unique collection, we decided to make the collection visible to the visitors and put it at the middle of this facility in order to symbolize it. The winding wall of the collection room is made of double glasses and the air-conditioning between the glasses provides a stable environmental condition.
Reading-study space, office, laboratory are arranges around the collection and the different qualities of spaces are connected continuously.
The outer concrete wall, which is quite stable, resists to the horizontal force structurally, and reduces outside-air-debt in order to achieve low energy efficiency. Inside structure, consisting of different sizes of mushroom forms, makes it possible to realize a free form collection room. This also makes a unique interior as if you are walking through a forest.
Free form of collection room and mushroom like structure are homage to Minakata Kumagusu, who loved germs and mushrooms.
Structural Advisor:Mitsuhiro Kanada (Arup Japan)
