Genome and Chimera

Project idea

This project proposes the reconstruction of two soon-to-be-demolished buildings—Port Town Elementary School and Shimizu Catholic Church—by reducing them to reusable components, or “genomes,” and reassembling them as a “chimera” architecture at Expo 2025 Osaka. These architectural fragments, gathered through serendipitous convergence, transcend time, borders, and ideologies to create a diverse and celebratory public space. The goal is to preserve memories of local architecture through a new form of spatial storytelling.

Project description

The project involves dismantling and transporting reusable architectural elements to the Expo site, where they are reassembled within a lightweight steel skeleton. These components are recombined based on randomness, resulting in a layered rest facility made of diverse functional and spatial fragments. The site includes various elements such as courtyards, performance stages, cafés, lounges, and scenic viewpoints—forming a cultural landscape that intertwines the urban memory with human encounters.

Technical information

The architecture is formed by arranging salvaged components according to their dimensions and form, utilizing design strategies such as repetition, fusion, spolia (repurposing), restoration, and symbiosis. Structural elements include H-beams (e.g., 150×100) and steel square pipes, with stained glass walls and church towers reused as elevators and restrooms. The design maintains spatial cohesion while ensuring feasibility in dismantling, transportation, and reassembly.

Documentation

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