In architectural construction techniques passed down over centuries, one finds commonalities around the world, much like the way in which natural sceneries across the globe have a certain amount in common, whatever the location. Architecture began with the unmodified use of elements of nature found on the planet, being replaced over time by structures built using simple, unpretentious methods. In that sense, it might be fair to say that natural scenery and architecture have formed an integrated environment from the beginning, grounded in a strong continuity.

The attempt for this pavilion is to find ways of constructing a new kind of architecture as if creating a new scenery, using time-honored methods and materials of the sort that exist in every region, and supplementing these traditional construction methods with the techniques and technologies of contemporary architecture.

Slabs of natural stone shattered into various shapes and sizes are piled up over an elegant, gauze-like structure assembled from uprights and horizontal members of very thin steel. Rain runs smoothly off the overlapping aggregation of stones; in this alone, the structure serves as a gigantic roof resembling a rocky alpine landscape. The attractively layered stone fragments, seemingly random fulfill the function of architecture with gentle ease.

Junya Ishigami

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