Register: DEC/03/2018, Submit: DEC/03/2018, Eligibility: Architecture students, architects or related professions; individually, groups up to 8 members who can be from different universities, countries and all disciplines: artists, philosophers, photographers, etc. Fee: 35 EUR (SEP/04 – OCT/16/2018), 60 EUR (OCT/17 – NOV/13/2018), 90 EUR (NOV/14 – DEC/03/2018); +IVA 21%; discount: 30% for every 10 teams, Awards: 1st Prize 1,500 EUR, 2nd Prize 1,000 EUR, 3rd Prize 500 EUR, 10 Honorable Mentions

Japan. Land of the rising sun. It is undoubtedly a great star in all Asian countries. The jewel in the crown of Asia. Japan is much more than an enumeration of topics related to their type of life or cultural and religious aspects. The peculiarities of its culture and its people are the result of its geography and demographic aspects, without forgetting the two predominant religions: Shintoism and Buddhism. Apart from those topics that surely we have all heard once, what most attracts the attention of Japan for many of its visitors is clearly the city of Tokyo and its inhabitants. Tokyo, capital of Japan for more than a century, was founded in 1457, although prior to that date there were already small towns and temples in the hills near its bay. Currently, from the waters that bathe it – Pacific Ocean – the image of high skyscrapers that symbolize what it has become is contemplated: one of the main world economic powers.

Daily and simple aspect of your day to day. Tokyo is the most populated city in the world, however, in the streets there are no bins and they are completely clean and organized. The subways are silent most of the time and cars circulate without making any noise. It seems complicated, but the millions of inhabitants coexist in peace and harmony in the stre ets of the Japanese capital. Bicycles and pedestrians share a sidewalk, you can even go down the road without putting your life in danger. A fact that is especially remarkable because that citizen civism is complicated to see even in the supposedly more developed countries. Japan is an example of social, economic and ethical development.

It is true that it is a gridded and hermetic society, but the proper functioning of your city is also due to its concept of the person and respect for others.

The pace of life is different and therefore the way of consuming changes a lot.  Apparently everything happens in silence and orderly, although there are places where the street disappears among the crowd.

In all this orderly chaos, transportation is one of the most important subjects of the city. There is a large mass of traffic that raises a big question, how can you manage a large mass of car parks when there are not enough square meters of land? Is it possible to manage a tower that meets these needs?

Tokyo Parking Tower - site area

SITE

The capital of Japan, Tokyo, located in the center-east of the island of Honshu, specifically in the Kanto region. The city, divided into two main areas – the continental and the insular – is the most industrialized zone of the country while being the center of politics, economy and popular culture.

Its surface includes lakes, rivers and national parks, as well as very important structures built by man, such as the Tokyo Tower.

The site where the future parking tower will be located is in the Minato area very close to Tokyo tower. The site is a large green empty square that is currently used as a crossroads. So the tower reactivates the entire area. The site, being so close to the city center, has an ideal situation for its purpose.

PROGRAM

The project must contemplate the following program.

1. The design of the area surrounding the tower: it includes green areas shade spaces, paths…

2. The tower: it must be designed in the urban void of 2260 m² of surface, a tower whose main use is parking. The height, the number of floors, the total capacity of the tower will be determined by the participant himself. The participants must design it according to the following concepts:

  • Use of space to maximize capacity
  • Integration with the environment of the building (facade finish)
  • Self-sufficient Building
  • It will be positively valued that the building contributes energetically to the city.
  • The building is allowed to be expandable or transformable over time.

The area of these spaces will be decided by each individual team. This program is indicative and therefore can be modified by the participant. That is why the character of the proposal can be modified as long as it is fully justified in the proposal.

The design freedom is absolute and the intervention surface is free, this contest suggests that the participant investigate the forms of intervention in a singular landscape and a building that is potentially sensitive. Study limits, scales, views, access, materiality are the keys to follow.

It will be positively valued to investigate the sustainability techniques that make the research station self-sufficient in its entirety.

NOTE

Being a contest of ideas, participants are free to modify the proposed surfaces. This report should be taken as a reference of the spaces necessary for the project to be functional and as a measure of the total dimensions of the project. Participants can suggest new areas not proposed in this document, as well as eliminate or combine some of those already mentioned.

Website: rethinkingcompetitions.com