An accessible rooftop that curves to meet the ground will distinguish the Hida Takayama University, which Japanese studio Sou Fujimoto Architects is designing in Hida City, Japan.
The private university, which is expected to open in April 2024, is set to be built on a rural site in the town that is located in the mountainous Gifu Prefecture.
Sou Fujimoto Architects is designing Hida Takayama University in Japan
Sou Fujimoto Architects' design comprises two curved buildings that will be separated by a courtyard. The larger of the two structures will be topped by the giant accessible rooftop described by the studio as "an open hill".
The university, which is aimed at postgraduates and working adults, will also have 11 other campuses throughout Japan. The university will be topped by an accessible curved roof
According to Sou Fujimoto Architects, the design references the surrounding mountainous landscape and follows the concept of being "open to beyond".
"Surrounded by beautiful mountains, the entire city of Hida is a large learning plaza where people gather and talk," explained the studio's founder Sou Fujimoto.

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The studio hopes the university will revitalise the rural site, which has a shrinking population, by drawing international attention.
"I would like to create a campus where students, faculty members, and loc...