shigeru ban to design passenger terminal for mount fuji shizuoka airport

shigeru ban to design passenger terminal for mount fuji shizuoka airport
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects

2014 pritzker laureate shigeru ban has been selected ahead of his compatriot junya ishigami to complete a passenger terminal building at japan’s mount fuji shizuoka airport. the scheme is intended to provide much needed additional infrastructure, while renovating aspects of the existing facilities. after public consultation and much discussion, the jury praised the proposal for its originality, commenting that the design is unlike any other airport building.

the scheme is comprised of eight barrel vaulted arches, constructed from twisted laminated wood
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects

the two-storey structure references the shape and form of local tea plantations, comprised of eight barrel vaulted arches constructed from twisted laminated wood. passengers arriving at the airport’s drop-off point are met by a welcoming double-height volume, which leads inside the building. the lightweight latticed roof canopy lends the scheme a calming and tranquil quality, well suited to the aviation building typology.