This is architecture that originates from the system of Cidori, an old Japanese toy. Cidori is an assembly of wood sticks with joints having unique shape, which can be extended merely by twisting the sticks, without any nails or metal fittings. The tradition of this toy has been passed on in Hida Takayama, a small town in a mountain, where many skilled craftsmen still exist.

Cidori has a wood 12 mm square as its element, which for this building was transformed into different sizes. Parts are 60mm×60mm×200cm or 60mm×60mm×400cm, and form a grid of 50cm square. This cubic grid also becomes the grid on its own for the showcase in the museum.

Jun Sato, structural engineer for the project, conducted a compressive and flexure test to check the strength of this system, and verified that even the device of a toy could be adapted to ‘big’ buildings. This architecture shows the possibility of creating a universe by combining small units like toys with your own hands. We worked on the project in the hope that the era of machine-made architectures would be over, and human beings would build them again by themselves.




Location: 2-294 Torii Matsu Machi, Kasugai-shi, Aichi Prefecture
Client: GC Corporation
Principal Use: Museum, Research Center
Design Period: 2008.04~2009.08
Construction Period: 2009.06~2010.05

Design and Supervision: Kengo Kuma & Associates

Cooperation for Design: Design Department of Matsui Construction
Structural Design: Jun Sato Structural Design
Utilities, Equipment: P.T.Morimura & Associates,LTD
Construction: Matsui Construction
Lighting: Daiko Electrics
Signage: Nippon Design Center Inc, Hara Design Institute

Structure: RC, Wooden
Number of Stories: 3 stories above and 1 under the ground
Site Area: 421.55m²
Built Area: 233.95m²
Total Floor Area: 626.5m²
Area on each floor: B1F: 164.65m²　1F: 199.60m²　2F: 143.92m²　3F: 133.59m²
Height of Stories: B1F: 3.13m 1F: 3.48m 2F: 3.00m 3F: 3.50m
Height of Ceilings: B1F: 2.4ｍ 1F: 3.21m 2F: 2.75m 3F: 2.50m-3.15m
Maximum Height: 9.99m
Maximum Eave Height: 8.99m

Materials:
Finish of Exterior: Roof/galuvalume, Exterior Wall/noninflammable cement excelsior board
Cidori Lattice: noninflammable cypress
Openings: wooden sash, aluminum sash, steel fittings
Finish of Interior:
B1F:
Ceiling, Wall: plasterboard Floor: chemicrete
1F:
Ceiling undressed concrete AEP, Cidori (Japanese fir) Atrium: siliciferous calsium board
Wall: noninflammable cement excelsior board
Floor: RC
2F:
Ceiling and Wall: noninflammable cement excelsior
Floor: chemicrete
3F:
Ceiling: hard cement chipboard
Wall: noninflammable cement excelsior
Floor: chemicrete