We designed a new Main Hall for Ichigyo-in Temple in Sennichi-dani (meaning “valley” in Japanese), Tokyo. Ichigyo-in belongs to the Jodo sect of Buddhism and its history dates back to the Edo Tokugawa period.

Located on a hillside, the new building is most often viewed from above. We therefore decided to emphasize the large, gently inclined roof with specially extruded, half-cylinder aluminum ‘tiles’. The deep eave protects the exterior as well as the interior, where we fixed 300mm solid cedar panels in a board-on-batten or yamato-bari pattern.

The new hall also has an automated Ossuary underground. Using cedar again but in more delicate screens, the room is bright and transparent, making it easier for each repository owner to drop by and visit their ancestors. We aimed to develop a new form of temple which can become the heart of the community.