reflection.
| collaborator Julia Mroz
Located near the town of Biei, Hokkaido, the Shirogane Blue Pond was a man-made byproduct of the dams created further along the Biei river to protect the town from the volcanic mudflows of the nearby Mt. Tokachi’s 1988 eruption. The incidental result of that was the creation of an environment of shimmering blue waters with suspended silver birch trees from that moment onwards. The gorgeous scenery attracts many visitors year-round as the ethereal pond provides a sense of peace in an increasingly hectic world. “Reflection” attempts to compliment the fragile man made landscape through its airy structure and acts as an architectural replication of the tree reflections by using delicate properties of architecturally exposed steel. The tower is an architectural recreation of the tranquil landscape which serves as not only an observation area but also a place of silence and contemplation.
location | Biei, Japan
CISC Steel Competition | 2020
morphology + plans.
To create an experience of weaving between the trees in the pond, the location of the trees in the pond was taken to determine the locaiton of columns and split among different platforms. The columns were then organized from most dense at the bottom to least dense at the top. This allows for the visitor’s view to broaden as they travel to the top of the tower.
