Mountaintop Facility in Yashima / Sou Fujimoto

Japanese Architect Sou Fujimoto has received the Second Prize in the International Competition to design a multipurpose Gallery Facility for the city of Takamatsu. Takashi Suo has been chosen ahead of compatriots Sou Fujimoto and Junya Ishigami.

Mountaintop Gallery Proposal by Sou Fujimoto technical information

Mountaintop Gallery Proposal

Mountaintop Facility in Yashima / Sou Fujimoto Mountaintop Facility in Yashima / Sou Fujimoto Mountaintop Facility in Yashima / Sou Fujimoto Mountaintop Facility in Yashima / Sou Fujimoto

The international competition attracted 213 submissions, six of which were chosen to advance to the contest’s final stage. From these entries, a jury that included Kazuyo Sejima selected the design by SUO (Takashi Suo’s Kyoto-based studio), with Sou Fujimoto placing second. Other proposals from Junya Ishigami, NAYA Architects, Happenstance Collective, and Aief were also considered.

Aims of the Competition. From the competition Guidelines

Yashima, located in the Seto Inland Sea, has a unique topography called “mesa,” meaning “tableland.” The caprock on the mountaintop is composed of “Tatami Ishi,” developed from Sanukitoid Andesite. The island has been designated as a natural monument owing to its high scholarly value.

The Takamatsu City of Kagawa Prefecture is implementing the Mountaintop Facility’s construction plan in Yashima, intending to regenerate this attractive island as a symbol of the community, which citizens will be proud of.

Before his construction plan, the city had proposed a “construction plan of a Visitor Center (tourist information facility) as one of the important strategies for the “Basic Plan for Revitalization of Yashima” formulated in January 2013. And it was followed by the “Basic Plan for Construction of the Mountaintop Facility in Yashima” formulated in May 2014.

The Mountaintop Facility is required to fulfill the following: it should have a dignified appearance integrated with the mountaintop landscape; it would represent Yashima’s abundant history and cultural values, and the critical professional ability is required to design all programs for visitors most accordingly. The building should express not only Takamatsu City or Bisan-Seto, but the greater Seto Inland Sea region, and simultaneously serve as the focal point of Seto Inland Sea National Park for a long time.

Mountaintop Gallery Images

Full Biography | Works from Sou Fujimoto

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