Architecture shaped by the natural forces that move across the Earth—wind, water, sunlight—and by the contours of the land.
This book introduces architect Hiroshi Sambuichi’s recent works in the Seto Inland Sea region, where he has devoted much of his effort in recent years.
From site research, to design development, to completion, the book provides an in-depth look at Sambuichi’s unique design methodology and the process of bringing these projects to life. Richly illustrated with photographs, sketches, and drawings, it conveys the fresh, vivid atmosphere inherent to each site.
Featured works include: the Miyajima Misen Observation Deck, Rokko-Shidare Observatory, Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, Naoshima Hall, Naoshima House “Matabei,” and Orizuru Tower.
An official guidebook to “Naoshima Architecture + The Naoshima Plan” for the Setouchi Triennale 2016.
A first monograph that illuminates Hiroshi Sambuichi’s work alongside the primordial landscapes of the Seto Inland Sea.
In conjunction with the exhibition “Hiroshi Sambuichi: Wind, Water, and Sun” held at TOTO Gallery･MA from Friday, April 15, 2016, TOTO Publishing released the book Hiroshi Sambuichi: Architecture of the Seto Inland Sea on Friday, March 18.
Opening with the line, “The photographs and sketches collected here are records of Sambuichi’s discoveries, investigations, and studies of the ‘moving materials’—wind, water, and sunlight—that he himself conducted in each region and village,” this book goes beyond the conventional notion of a retrospective monograph. It serves as an archive documenting how Sambuichi engaged with each project—what he observed, what he sought to create—together with the research photographs he personally captured over the years.
Whenever Sambuichi begins a project, he devotes an extraordinary amount of time to research—no less than a full year. His process begins with repeated visits to the site, observing the culture rooted in the land, the daily lives of its people, and the natural environment as it shifts through the seasons. He then carefully interprets and visualizes the flows of wind and water, as well as the movement of the sun—forces that profoundly shape the townscape. The architecture that emerges from this approach maximizes the latent potential of the land, minimizes environmental impact, and simultaneously fulfills the role of passing its culture and natural heritage on to future generations.
This book introduces five Setouchi-region projects, from the award-winning Inujima Seirensho Art Museum (Okayama, 2008)—recipient of the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize in 2011—to the still ongoing Orizuru Tower (Hiroshima, 2016). Through photographs, sketches, and drawings, it presents the full development process of each project. Essays by Soichiro Fukutake, Chairman of the Fukutake Foundation, and by architects and scholars familiar with Sambuichi’s work, offer multifaceted perspectives on his practice.
The monograph is also published as the official book jointly shared with “The Naoshima Plan – Hiroshi Sambuichi,” an exhibition hosted by the Fukutake Foundation and Naoshima Town, opening on Sunday, March 20, as part of the Setouchi Triennale 2016.
This is a volume for all—practicing architects, students aspiring to enter the profession, and anyone intrigued by architecture.
