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The practice had recently completed their first built work in Japan
- the Snow-Land Agrarian Culture Center in Matsudai town, Niigata.
This facility is one of the three event spaces built for the Echigo-Tsumari
Art Triennale 2003. Each designed by a different architect, the individual
event space highlights the regional allure by concentrating on different
themes. The Snow-Land Agrarian Culture Center focuses on the theme
of agriculture and snow culture.
Niigata is a prefecture located on the Japan sea
side of the island of Japan and is characterized by hot, humid summers
and heavy snow falls in winter, sometimes piling up to a few meters
high. The project is sited in the flat part of a valley and is located
between the train line, the river and the high-voltage electric
lines. It is a rural landscape with rice paddies and small houses
where time seems to stand still. How to operate in this context
and react to the climatic character is their preoccupation in this
project.
Intermixing between a museum, a village centre, a classroom and
a performance place, the building is an eye-catching white box that
is lifted off the ground and supported by 3 tentacle-like corridor-bridges.
In summer, the white box stands out from the green surrounding farmland.
When winter comes, it in turn blends itself very well with the white
snowscape. The square floor plan is crossed by the different movement
patterns over the site. The different spaces of various sizes formed
thereafter became the main spaces of the building, like gallery,
shop, café etc. The path lines became the corridors of the
building.
By lifting up the volume, MVRDV had created a column-less open-air
space that can be used for events both in summer and winter, despite
the heavy downpour and snow. Lifting-up also gives every room a
panoramic view to the outside and in turn serves as a show window.
Arriving out of structural needs, the jutting-out steel girders
on the roof terrace that seem to emulate the surrounding mountainscape
further rendered a distinct character to the Centre.
In sharp contrast to the snow-white exterior, the interior is a
totally different world. The corridors are painted a contrasting
dark, shiny grey colour. This grey hue forms an excellent background
that presents the different rooms and work spaces, each in its own
colour. There is the bright green shop, the orange toilets, the
smooth blue café, the yellow administration office and the
red staircase that leads to the roof top terrace.
MVRDV also collaborated with various artists in creating a series
of spaces that is very unique and special. Each artist is given
a specific space and colour to create their 'artwork'. Among the
collaboration, Fabrice Hybert's "Autour du Feu, Dans le
Desert" is the most well-received.
His work is situated in a cylindrical room that he painted an intense
dark green. On the wall of the room are 1001 small holes with lights
mounted in it. A further circle is completed by placing a traditional
Japanese hearth (a hibachi) in the center of the room. Small
seats are arranged against the wall around the hearth. With the
1001 strong lights in the background, this space becomes the perfect
spot for smokers taking a puff break. The smoke from the cigarettes,
the sparks from the hearth and the 1001 lights conjured an interesting
hybrid of the "Arabian Nights" tales and a traditional
Japanese gathering space.
The Snow-Land Agrarian Culture Center is undoubtedly
a memorable piece that leaves a positive impression on the visitors.
Adopting a different approach to an otherwise conventional programme,
it is a piece of work that seems to symbolize the renaissance of
the region. Hopefully it will effectively serve the aim of mixing
together different regions, generations and occupations as a community
centre, as wished by the designers.
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