shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo + yuta shimada: little hilltop with wind view

tokyo-based practice shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo architects has shared with us images of ‘little hilltop with wind view’, an 8 meter-tall viewing tower on the hill of a wind farm in shimonoseki city, japan. a collaborative effort with japanese architect yuta shimada, the design offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape that highlights other elements of the site such as the wind, flowers and clouds.

all images courtesy of shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo architects

standing autonomously on site as a white-washed rectangular volume, the tower was conceived to actively interact with the wind by swaying slightly on its platform. intensive structural studies were conducted to come up with a support system that allowed for the desired deformation. the grid frame is constructed from extremely thin steel rods with horizontally-woven networks, giving enough movement for a maximum displacement of 150mm to each side. to maintain the tower’s light and flexible body, both the exterior and interior surfaces were clad in panels of 15mm-thick baked rubber.

approach

interior view

open roof

sitting chair

doorway

in context

steel grid structure during construction

site plan

project info:

principal use: viewing tower / landscape
site area: 1000 m2
built area: 4.16 m2
structure: steel
structural design: jun sato structural engineers