Kengo Kuma & Associates Located at the entrance of the Tokyo Institute of Technology (current Institute of Science Tokyo) Okayama Campus, this building is designed as a “platform” to house student activity. To maintain a clear vista of the clocktower, the campus’s prominent landmark, most of the building is placed underground. Above ground, it appears as a lush mound-like form, seamlessly integrating with the surrounding landscape. The “roof”, composed of stepped greenery and bleachers, resonates with the green slanted wall of the adjacent library, collectively creating a green valley. This space serves as a new place of rest and interaction for the students, bringing life and vitality.
The line between the interior space and exterior landscape is blurred by continuing the stepped landscape into the building, creating fluid interiors where co-learning and joint workshops can occur simultaneously across different levels. Without clear partitions, the space flows ambiguously, stimulating the visual and physical senses of its users.
To address the site’s complex conditions, the overall sectional profile of the roof was first determined, followed by the design of strip-like bleachers fanning out. This produced a roof silhouette that resembles the landscape of a river delta spilling into the campus. By exposing the twisted structure that supports the roof, the interior space acquires a dynamic rhythm. As a result, two architectural landscapes―the exterior and the interior―relate to each other in a state of resonating harmony.

Kengo Kuma & Associates