KAIGAN CULTURAL CENTRE

Location: Tokyo Bay - Tokyo, Japan

Instructor : Thomas Leung

Kaigan - meaning coast, is a small district within Tokyo bay’s Minato ward. The perimeter of Tokyo harbour is characterized by artificial islands. Where reclamation of land advanced, it gave way to a diverse mix of residential, institutional, commercial, and recreational land use. The result, in some areas, is a unique urban flavour marbled by canals which are traversed by bridges and lined with boardwalks.

This cultural center is meant to transform and acknowledge the unique industrial character of the site. To bring the community into an environment that celebrates the surrounding in which it sits and become in tune with the nature of the city.

Based on the practices of kendo, in which one trains one’s mental and physical skills, The Kaigan Community Center aims to enhance those skills to promote living with a more balanced schedule within the bustling Tokyo lifestyle.

The Kaigan Cultural Center conceals itself along the street, a hidden oasis hidden within the busy city of Tokyo. The building cuts an L-shaped corridor along the center, that acts as the main arterial pathway through which one experiences the building. As one approaches the water. the pathway extends out into the water, reaching towards reclaimed islands in the Tokyo bay. The building sets up views exteriorly and interiorly toward natural and man-made elements within Tokyo Bay and beyond as a reminder of the connection between one’s self and the world around them. The programming of the spaces works in tangent with these views to further push the connection from kayaking into the waters of Tokyo bay to reading and studying between the many gardens on the site.