Australian Sustainable Architecture Designs Showcased in Tokyo

July 12, 2018

Tokyo- An exhibition of Australian sustainable architectural projects has begun in Tokyo's Roppongi district, in collaboration with Japanese university students.

"Universal Principles/Unique Projects: Architecture Re-Setting the Agenda" on the 52nd floor of Tokyo City View, an observation facility in Roppongi Hills, comprises one-200th-scale miniature models made by students of the Chiba Institute of Technology and Tokyo University of the Arts, as well as drawings by students at University of New South Wales and videos.

A total of 12 projects curated by renowned Australian architect Wendy Lewin are on show, including her Australian Opal Center, a planned research and education facility designed with the help of Glenn Murcutt, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

The facility for Lightning Ridge, an Australian mining town where temperatures can range from below 5 degrees Celsius to over 40 degrees, will be "autonomous," with systems for power generation, water recycling and on-site management of waste.

In preparation for the exhibition, students from the Chiba Institute of Technology, under the tutelage of Prof. Sohei Imamura, visited project sites in Melbourne and Sydney in May. They spent nearly two months making the models, Imamura said.

"It was difficult to produce sections of the models individually," said Hiroki Jitsukawa, a 23-year-old student at the university. Students produced their own parts and then put them together. "However, they didn't always fit very well," he said.

"We also reproduced the architecture's surroundings as it is important for such an exhibition to show the environments in which buildings are located," Imamura said. "We hope to show visitors both the rich landscapes of Australia and its city streets."

The projects on display in Tokyo "present a rich snapshot of the intersection of culture and architecture in Australia," Lewin said. "In each case, ancient architectural systems and technologies inform contemporary partnerships with the environment."

The exhibition will be held through Aug. 26 as part of "Australia now," an eight-month program that began in Japan in April. The program is organized by the Australian government as a way of introducing contemporary Australia. Jiji Press