Sea / Filter

Sol Poniente
760 Oaza Onoda, Sanyo Onoda-shi, Yamaguchi, Japan
2001.03
Restraunt
458.59m2

The aim of this project was to create a strong link between the architecture and the ocean. Just by being physically close does not join two entities together. I felt that by opening apertures in the building I could make the building bind with the ocean or in other words make the artificial connect with the natural.

I first divided the building into two sections and created a large aperture in between. Visitors will first look at the horizon that lies beyond this opening, and then approach either one of the two buildings. I used the same method of approaching a building via an aperture in some of my other projects, including the River/Filter, Stone Museum, and the Hiroshige Museum of Art.

The numerous pores in the brick wall constitute another type of aperture. This building is located in a region known for producing high-quality clay that is ideal for making pottery and bricks. I used this clay to bake bricks that have three holes. I laid the bricks vertically, different from the direction in which they are usually laid, such that people could see the ocean through their holes. The steel bars are inserted at joints, in both vertical and horizontal direction, and fixed with steel angle at top and bottom ends.

The ocean-side façade is constructed with glass only. The glass is fixed directly to the solid steel columns. The land-side wall bears the seismic force and the ocean-side columns would only take the vertical load. The application of extremely fine steel columns was possible because of this structural system. The ocean-side columns and the land-side walls are connected at the rigid plane of roof composed with lines of wood joists. The wood joists also serve to provide rhythm to the space created.