A new unconventional and eye popping building, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, decorates the neighborhood of Asakusa, in Tokyo and serves as the district’s Culture Tourist Information Center. An innovation in existing layered architecture, the building is the center stage of Asakusa’s lively neighborhood.
Spread in eight vertically piled storeys that wrap a variety of activities underneath, the center’s inventive design lies in its sloping roofs, which act as horizontal slices dividing up the building. The roofs, not only divide the structure, but also determine the role of each floor. The center houses 4 conference rooms, an exhibition space, an atrium, a theatre and a roof deck. Wooden slats shade each of the glass elevations and are spread out differently according to shade and privacy required. The surfaces inside the building are also covered in timber and each floor relates differently to the outside, giving it a unique personality. Large air volume is ensured through the diagonally shaped spaces.
Designed so as to accommodate plural programs, this multipurpose center, with sloping ceilings and tiered floors, is definitely an eye candy for those who find themselves intrigued by innovative architecture.
