Interview about Hoshino Jinja Shrine, winner of the A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award 2024
It is an innovative approach that combines old and new technologies, such as the traditional Japanese traditional construction method that does not use any metal fittings, Ishiba-building and limit strength calculation based on modern structural analysis. The design, composed of horizontal and vertical lines, is highly aesthetic and has been described as attractive structural beauty based on the unique Japanese sense of beauty.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe covered hall plays an important role in protecting the main shrine from the elements. The plan to rebuild the main shrine building began because it was difficult to maintain the main shrine building due to the close proximity of the old and new buildings. The shrine officials hoped that the new covered hall would be a structure that would continue to protect the main shrine for another 100 to 200 years, while being preserved in this location for generations to come. In addition, the main shrine, which is designated as a cultural asset by the city, will be investigated, renovated, and restored.The new covered hall will be an architecture in which traditional construction methods and technologies are not antiquated but state-of-the-art through a fusion of high-dimensional clarification of traditional construction methods and technologies using modern structural analysis technology and traditional construction methods and technologies that are the work of the modern age. We hope that the building will be a landmark in the community, and at the same time, it will be an architecture that preserves the strength and comfort of wood and its traditions for future generations.
In addition to the structural beauty that is inevitably created by the axial structure of “pillars” and “penetrations” of the traditional construction method, which has been handed down for hundreds of years, the addition of “penetrations” calculated by modern structural calculations creates more horizontal and vertical continuity in the structure, resulting in a design that combines the traditional and modern scientific perspectives. The result is a design that fuses the traditional viewpoints of the past with the scientific viewpoints of the present.
The government-subsidized project, “Creation of Design Methods and Performance Verification Experiments for Traditional Construction Methods,” conducted from 2010 to 2014, makes it possible to incorporate safety and versatility into traditional buildings from a scientific perspective based on structural mechanics clarification.This will ensure the safety of traditional buildings through modern structural calculations.
The design of the building has once again become a landmark in the community, as it has retained the design of the old covered hall that was built more than 100 years ago and was well known in the community.
This architecture contributes to the succession of technology and the revitalization of local industry by evolving traditional techniques and designs, both old and new, and being publicly recognized both domestically and internationally with architectural and design awards.
The government-subsidized “Design Method Development and Performance Verification Experiments of Traditional Construction Methods” conducted from 2010 to 2014 will make it possible to incorporate safety and versatility into traditional buildings from a scientific perspective by clarifying structural mechanics.The inheritance of traditional technology is not an old-fashioned business, but rather, by turning the scientific scalpel to the technology and construction methods in recent years, we believe that the buildings will be at the cutting edge of technology.
The recent trend toward standardized, mass-produced construction and construction methods that rely on new construction materials and laminated wood has led to a steady decline in traditional techniques, which is difficult to maintain.This building will function as a place for universities, technical colleges, and other professional organizations in the prefecture to learn about traditional techniques, and to train future generations to carry on these techniques.
The two main goals were to nurture young craftsmen who would be the next generation to build and preserve traditional architecture for a long time, and to secure human resources for the severe conditions of the mountains in the exhausted region.
Instead of designing, the shrine carpenter and designer himself was a craftsman who conveyed the importance of traditional techniques and wood as well as education and the sanctity of the shrine through on-site practical work.
The covered hall of the shrine has an important role in protecting the main shrine building from the elements. This reconstruction plan was based on the request of a sustainable structure for another 100～200 years to serve in a community so that traditional construction methods, *Ishibadate, and the calculation method of response and limit strength, are adopted. The main hall is designated as Cultural Asset by the city and will be renovated and restored. This main hall inherits ancient techniques, and the covered hall is new architecture that combines traditional and modern structural analysis techniques*Ishidatea setup where pillars stand on stones instead of being fixed deep into the ground
Dive into a world of design excellence with our curated highlights. Each feature showcases outstanding creativity, innovation, and impact from the design world. Discover inspiration and learn more about these incredible achievements.
