Yokai Hall

This project takes inspiration from Le Corbusier’s Cubist approach to form and space. Situated in Chiyoda, Tokyo, the Traditional Performing Arts Information Center is not only a building but a nexus between past and present, the static and the dynamic.

Drawing on Japan’s traditional performing arts — particularly the mystical Yokai — the project transforms cultural symbols into unique spatial experiences, respecting Japanese tradition while speaking a modern architectural language.

I began by exploring the intriguing aspects of Japan’s traditional performing arts, particularly the Yokai. Using hands-on collage techniques, I transformed these elements into distinct symbols, setting the stage for a form language deeply connected to cultural shapes and motifs.

The center sits opposite the National Theater’s main entrance on Uchibori-dori, on the National Theater-dori side. Walking along National Theater-dori from Hanzomon, a gentle slope designed to avoid steps leads up into the theater grounds.

The building comprises a main exhibition hall, equipment room, circulation tube, secondary exhibition hall, restrooms, external entrance, archive and multimedia hall. Personal readings of the two-dimensional studies helped morph these concepts into three-dimensional forms, merging traditional narratives with spatial dynamics.

Inspired by Japan’s traditional arts and the tales of Yokai, the space melds simple shapes with modern design. The central circulation shaft takes the form of a Reuleaux triangle, a shape that complements the overlapping structures and turns flat studies into a vibrant three-dimensional space. Natural light filters in, casting gentle shadows and crafting a serene, welcoming atmosphere.

Exterior materials include brushed aluminum panels on a light-steel truss. Inside, wood-grain aluminum panels line the space; walls combine cement fiberboard, white emulsion paint and a light-steel structure.

Building on Cubism, Le Corbusier pioneered Purism. He believed in the deconstruction and abstraction of natural elements — that everything can be abstracted into regular, orderly patterns. This perspective shaped his architecture, integrating form into space and, above all, using natural light to craft beauty.

Intuitively, people find it hard to see a building as beautiful if its structure seems illogical, however much it is embellished — it still feels like a castle in the air. Structure is like the human skeleton: the depth of a face depends on the shape of the skull. So, in my search for form, I delved deep into the design of the outer shell: brushed aluminum panels form a coherent structural framework outside, while wood-grain metal panels inside evoke transparency and tranquility.

The project raised questions about spatial form. What defines a logical space? Which shapes possess aesthetic appeal? How can one balance the beauty of form with the practicality of space?

After many experiments with different forms, I found it hard to convey precisely the spatial experience I envisioned. That was when I realized that for an aesthetic form to blend into a tangible space, a sound structural foundation is paramount.