Housenji Temple / Meguro Architecture Laboratory

Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeHousenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 3 of 21Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Interior Photography, BeamHousenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 5 of 21Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - More Images+ 16

Tokyo, Japan
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Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Koichi Torimura

Text description provided by the architects. Housenji Temple plays an important role as a center of local community. Our concept was to enhance its spiritual place for the locals and at the same time create pleasant environment to city. For an existing building, we stabilized the structure with seismic retrofit system to resist earthquakes.

Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 5 of 21
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 17 of 21
Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 3 of 21
© Koichi Torimura

Adding a new function to the temple, we designed a new building attached to the existing one where housed an assembly hall on the 1st floor to serve visitors and the quarters on the 2nd and 3rd floor as residence for abbot family.

Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Interior Photography, Beam
© Koichi Torimura

The new building in particular, we used TWFS (Thick Wall and Floor Structure with No Temporal Support) for building shell. This system allows us to create no column space for assembly hall. For interior partitions, we used wooden panels installed on LGS (Light Gauge Steel). So we were able to divide space freely which can be flexibly changed to meet new needs in the future.

Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Interior Photography, Windows
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 21 of 21
Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Interior Photography, Windows
© Koichi Torimura

Another unique design is at the entrance of assembly hall. Traditionally, an entrance space was quite small, it was where greeting guests then guests take off their shoes here before entering. But in our project, we would like to make this space more welcoming to the visitors. So we enlarged space at the entrance and also placed the benches.

Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 14 of 21
© Koichi Torimura

So visitors are warmly welcome into this space without taking off their shoes, they can use this space for relaxing, waiting, sitting or talking without worrying about taking off their shoes. We aimed to create heart-warming atmosphere into our project by associating to the notion of taking off shoes.

Housenji Temple  / Meguro Architecture Laboratory - Image 12 of 21
© Koichi Torimura

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Address:Tokyo, Japan

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About this office
Cite: "Housenji Temple / Meguro Architecture Laboratory" 25 Apr 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/915795/housenji-temple-meguro-architecture-laboratory> ISSN 0719-8884

© Koichi Torimura

日本宝泉寺修建及加建项目/目黑建筑研究所

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