Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Facade, ArchSayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - BeamSayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - BeamSayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Image 5 of 26Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - More Images+ 21

Saitama, Japan
  • Textile Coordinate: Yoko Ando
  • City: Saitama
  • Country: Japan
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Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Garden
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

Text description provided by the architects. This cemetery is located in the lush forests of the Sayama hills. The community hall stands midway on a slope above a city. The site enjoys excellent views, but we sought not to open the building fully to its scenery nor, for that matter, to entirely close it. Rather, we wanted to create a space that, while open, would have a degree of closure. To this end, we gathered the service-related rooms in a central, reinforced-concrete core and arranged the visitor lounge and dining rooms around the core on a circular plan open to the exterior.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Beam, Windows, Handrail
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners
Detail Section
Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Facade, Arch
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

Surrounding the building with a tranquil reflecting pool, resonant with nearby Lake Sayama, we located the parking and other miscellaneous functions out of view. Finally, erecting a delicate ring of slender, solid steel pillars and beams, we placed a wood roof frame, as if floating, above it. The roof, with an eave height of 1.35m, is like a wide brimmed hat.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Beam
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

As a result, the building offers two different landscape views, depending on the user's posture (sitting or standing). For people standing, it is an introspective space for gazing on nature indirectly, in the reflections of sky and greenery in the pool, and in the pool reflections striking the ceiling. The large roof beams, descending to the exterior pool, induce visitors to move toward the windows. There, a leather-upholstered bench is built into the wall under the window, and the visitors, in response to the lowness of the ceiling, unconsciously lower themselves onto the bench.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Beam
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

The building thus tells visitors, “Sit and rest a while before you leave.” The moment they sit, the Sayama hills and forests come into view, under the eaves, and the city appears in the distance. Outside, the community of the living presents a contrast with the quiet forest, where the deceased rest. Winds play on the green reflections in the pool. Inside, visitors feel enveloped in the gentle warmth of wood beams, close enough to touch.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Beam
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

Lifting their head to follow the lines of the beams, they see the sky beyond tree-filtered sunlight. While absorbed in Sayama`s beautiful natural surroundings, they remember the deceased. In this space, the wood frame is always intimately near, guiding people in their behavior or, to the contrary, responding to it. The rooftop above the office is a space for trees, surrounded by high side windows that allow light and breeze into the guest spaces below.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Beam
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners
Floor Plan
Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Waterfront, Garden
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

The rooftop deciduous trees serve as a natural curtain. Growing thick with leaves in summer, they change the bright sun to soft filtered light. In winter, they allow rays of warm sunlight deep into the interior.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Garden
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

The ring of windows is slightly inclined, with its highest point above the reception and waiting room. Besides imparting rhythm to the interior, the incline of the windows has an effect of guiding people deeper into the building. It also enables passive air-conditioning by means of natural gravity ventilation, cool air is drawn in from the reflecting pool while warm air is expelled through the windows at their highest point.

Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall  / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP - Image 19 of 26
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

Originally published on January 13th, 2016. 

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Project location

Address:Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Community Hall / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP" 18 Jul 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/780211/sayama-lakeside-cemetery-community-hall-hiroshi-nakamura-and-nap> ISSN 0719-8884

© Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners

狭山湖畔墓地社区大厅 / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

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