Japanese architect Kengo Kuma used cross-laminated timber to build a temporary pocket park pavilion and exhibition space in Tokyo.
Called CLT Park Harumi, the complex is located on Harumi, a residential area built on an island of reclaimed land in the Japanese capital.
The main CLT pavilion holds a small park
Parallelogram-shaped fins of cross-laminated timber (CLT) form a four-sided pavilion that contains a small park with a lawn of artificial grass in the middle.
Digital screens, set in a diagonal shape in the middle of the lawn, play graphics that change in response to people walking across them.
Interactive screens are set in the artificial lawn
Panels of TEFKA, a plastic film made by Japanese chemical company Denka, form the transparent roof and side elements of the pavilion. The plastic protects the occupants of the park from the elements without obstructing views of the wood, while gaps allow air to still flow through.
A staircase is swathed in stacks of CLT
Two events spaces flank the park pavilion, one featuring a staircase covered in a sweeping sculpture made from stacked planks of CLT.
It also has a reading room with books and wooden toys, as well as interactive games to play on screens.
All of the engineered timber was sourced from Japan
All of the CLT was sourced domestically from Maniwa, a city in Okayama Prefecture. CLT Park Harumi was commissioned by Mitsubishi Estate Group to display the versatility of Japanese CLT.
After a year, the pavilions are due to be...