Amakusa Complex “Kokorasu”

This mixed-use complex includes a library, a public health center, and a community center. The building design enables seamless access to all of these functions through a spacious, multifunctional garden, open to access by all, at the center of the site. A sloping path gradually rises from the garden, connecting with the public library on the second floor. By creating a composition in which the linear building and the undulations of the garden complement one another, we aimed to create open and inviting promenade-like spaces.
The building’s roof, created by the combination of four dynamically curved surfaces with different slopes, is supported by a frame made from local timber for which Amakusa is well known. Where the curved roof planes overlap, pleasant daylight from the north enters together with fresh air from the mountainside. The roof structure also creates large span, column free spaces for its interior functions.