I think that I’m picking up on a common theme in the world of architecture. As I sat out to write an intro to Slowtecture M, I realized that my train of thought followed that of another post I’d written in the not to distant past. The observation is simply that the biggest, most expensive, green and radically bold designs are being unveiled for facilities that are seemingly untraditional. Rather than corporate headquarters, major international banks and museums, we are seeing everything from shopping malls to hotels benefit from shiny new designs.
Located in Hyogo, Japan, Slowtecture M was designed for emergency situations, and as a tennis complex. Shuhei Endo created the structure for the Hyogo prefecture, which suffered in the
great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. The vast space can serve as an staging area in an emergency and
in the off season, it’s used as a tennis dome. The building houses 9 courts including a central one with
stadium seating. On the exterior, the building’s surface and roof are covered in soil and plantings.
This blends the building into the landscape and insulates it from the elements. The roof is made up of
a complex steel skeleton and pierced by large skylights.
