YOKOHAMA TIMBER WHARF
A New Symbol of the City,
Born from Harmony
YOKOHAMA TIMBER WHARF
A New Symbol of the City,
Born from Harmony
Yokohama is home to many historically significant and unique buildings, such as the Red Brick Warehouse, Yamashita Park, and Osanbashi Pier. As a new center of vibrancy is being created in Yokohama, it becomes clear that the missing piece for the city is a new symbol. Around the world, there are numerous examples where a single building has transformed the image of an entire area. This new symbol should be a creative space filled with art and design, where cultural enjoyment also flourishes. Located at the heart of the fan-shaped Rinko Park, facing the sea from Yokohama, this grand symbol aims to completely change the city’s character. By making a single, strong impression, the perception of the entire city can be transformed.
The design adopts a “wood-based hybrid structural system,” in which timber is used as the fire-resistant covering for structural members. By adding a finishing layer of the same type of wood to the surface of the hybrid timber members, components can be periodically replaced without damaging the primary structure, enabling the appropriate circulation of timber and resulting in a sustainable architectural approach.
By combining a symbolic and grand form with the use of wood as a structural design element, we boldly incorporate a lattice-like shape that leaves a strong impression. Wood, which is rarely used in structural elements, is used boldly. These two bold choices, capturing the spirit of the times, rise harmoniously against the greenery of Rinko Park. The new symbol of the city will remain in everyone’s memory and become an unforgettable landscape.
Yokohama may need a design that carries the scent of a creative, mature energy.
We hope to add a new layer of character to Yokohama’s diverse cityscape by bringing a new perspective to Rinko Park.
A single building can indeed change the entire image of an area.
It’s not about size. I want to create something compact yet with a large sense of scale.
A design that blends harmoniously with nature, yet stands as a symbolic presence. We aimed to create a form that embodies the coexistence of nature and architecture as equals.
The timber used is divided into the structural framework and the outer “skin,” allowing the interior to be protected over time by renewing the skin as needed.
In Japan, a tradition centered on wooden architecture has long existed, in which buildings are maintained by replacing individual components in response to aging and damage.
Because of the time we are living in, I found myself drawn to use wood as a structural element in architecture.
In contemporary Japan, is it not possible to create architecture based on the same way of thinking? Can we not build architecture that uses wood, ensures proper cycles of use and renewal, and is mindful of the environment?
A sustainable solution that reflects my personal approach.
The roof forms a sequence of gentle arches, designed to blend seamlessly with the skyline created by the existing trees in Rinko Park.
Creating architecture is clearly different from creating interior design.
It is symbolic, yet it does not seek to dominate.
横浜ティンバーワーフ｜YOKOHAMA TIMBER WHARF 横浜ティンバーワーフの公式ウェブサイト。横浜港を望む緑豊かな臨港パーク内に誕生した、カフェ&レストランやイベントを楽しめる複合施設です。
A design that blends naturally yet remains symbolic, harmonizing while maintaining a distinct presence.
Becoming a part of the landscape.
Since Japan’s period of rapid economic growth, large numbers of rational, efficiency-driven buildings have been constructed and consumed. Architecture has routinely followed a cycle of scrap-and-build, exerting a significant impact on the global environment.
We believe that, instead of pursuing urban rationalization alone, architecture should be approached individually—used carefully, deliberately, and over the long term.
From Scrap-and-Build to the Era of “Circular” Architecture
