Facing the Pacific Ocean, Ishinomaki was one of many towns devastated by the earthquake and tidal wave that struck northern Japan on March 11, 2011. On that fateful day, more than 3,000 townspeople died, blocks of buildings were demolished, and life as it was known in this tight-knit fishing community was literally washed away. Over time, the detritus was cleared, and rebuilding begun. But revitalization remains an ongoing process. Completed 10 years after the disaster, Sou Fujimoto’s Ishinomaki Cultural Center is an important step in this direction.
The project began with a government-sponsored competition to remake Ishinomaki’s destroyed museum and theater centers. Originally the two buildings stood close to the sea, but a more secure site, far from the water and about two miles from the town center, was chosen for the new, combined facility. Like most post-2011 public works in Japan, it will double as a disaster emergency shelter center. Prior to the competition, temporary housing occupied the designated land, which faces athletic fields to the south, the Toyakemori Mountains to the north, and recently developed timber-framed two-story houses to the west.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.