Gunma, Japan 2016

This is a project designed at Takenaka Corporation.

Tomioka is a small town in central Japan with a unique history of manufacturing silk at the critical moment of industrialization in Japan’s history. In recent years, the century-old silk mill factory campus was registered as one of the World Heritage Sites in 2014.

Although the preservation of the historic buildings is the essential part of the management of the site, continuous closure and the scenery of halfway repairs often disappoint visitors. This project is a continuing attempt to share the dynamic process of conservation of historical heritage with public visitors, enhancing the history and adding contemporary meanings to the site.

In front of this historical cocoon warehouse building, the design team proposed a three-storied temporary viewing deck with plain industrial elements which correspond to the existing former silk mill. During seven years of conservation work, visitors can take the whole view of the world heritage site through wide-open windows on the third floor, and directly see the process of conservation in the workshop. The facade was made of mesh sheets, a very inexpensive material that transmits light and air while covering the steel wall panels and aluminum windows that otherwise outstand from the existing surroundings. With logotypes printed on the mesh sheets, this building serves as a banner in front of the historic building.