Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Exterior Photography, CityscapeAthletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, BeamAthletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Beam, ColumnAthletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Windows, BeamAthletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - More Images+ 20

  • Site Area: 14500 sq. m.
  • Maximum Height: 6.95 m
  • Client: Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
  • Constructions: Kumagai Gumi Co. Ltd. & Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd.
  • City: Tokyo
  • Country: Japan
More SpecsLess Specs
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Beam
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

Athletes’ Village Plaza: A Festive Space Created with Timber from Across the Nation. National Timber Support. A temporary facility constructed in the Athletes' Village for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Athletes’ Village Plaza was a ceremonial event space where athletes, media, VIPs, and guests could interact.

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Exterior Photography, Cityscape
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Image 22 of 25
Plan
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Beam, Column
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

Timber materials for construction were obtained from local governments throughout Japan, assembled into temporary facilities, then dismantled after the Games, and returned to their respective municipalities. Plans call for its repurposing and re-use as “legacy” materials. The project's major role was to express architecturally, Japan’s united support for the Games through a single facility, and to spread the appeal of domestically produced timber.

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Beam
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Image 25 of 25
Column Detail
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Bathroom, Wood
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

Interactive Space with a Detached House & Street Garden. The Plaza main facility was designed as a single-story building, accessible and easy to use for everyone, with consideration given to athletes with disabilities and other related personnel. The building was divided into separate structures and wholly integrated through a street garden. Common in traditional Japanese architecture, the resulting space is akin to a porch, with overhead eaves open to the canal breeze. It creates a festive space that conveys Japanese charm as the Village “face” with the lightness of temporary architecture and the softness of the wood.

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Column
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Image 23 of 25
Section
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

Structure According to Usage. Three types of scalable frame structures were used to accommodate the use of the facility. For small spaces such as offices, a lattice beam structure was used, in which steel braces were paired with orthogonal and diagonal lattice beams for earthquake resistance. For large spaces where partition walls and braces were undesirable, a reciprocal structure with three twisted diagonal columns was used for quake support. A truss arch structure with tree-shaped protruding brackets was employed for the press conference room, which requires a wide span.

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Beam
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Image 24 of 25
Roof Detail
Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Beam
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

Managing 40,000 Pieces of Timber. Even within the same species of wood, the strength and rigidity can vary from region to region. Therefore, in addition to the specifications of the timber provided, its characteristics and availability were taken into consideration when deciding on allocation. Each piece of timber was subjected to JAS standards, and by using BIM, classified and allotted according to its strength and moisture content.

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Interior Photography, Door
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

The timber was harvested, dried, and milled locally in each municipality, then received in accordance with the construction schedule. After use, it was returned to each municipality for transformation into benches and public facilities.

Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei - Exterior Photography, Door, Facade, Column
© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:Tokyo, Japan

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Athletes' Village Plaza / Nikken Sekkei" 27 Sep 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/989556/athletes-village-plaza-nikken-sekkei> ISSN 0719-8884

© Gankosha, Harunori Noda

日本各地木材‘开会’,东京奥运村广场 / 日建设计

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.