This project for resort lodging facilities is located in hilly terrain in Hakone. The site is on a thickly wooded slope encompassed by a natural park. The west-facing slope is above a valley and enjoys views of Owakudani Valley and Mount Fuji.
The building is composed of a main volume, extending from the relatively level frontal road towards the steep slope, and east of this, a secondary volume bounded by roads on three sides. To avoid disturbing the natural surroundings and to harmonize the building’s presence with the landscape of Hakone, I have terraced both volumes with the slope so that they appear submerged in nature. Each unit of the main element I have opened fully towards the valley and provided with a terrace, allowing it continuity from interior to exterior spaces as well as contact with views from exterior spaces and with encompassing greenery. While the main volume is open to the exterior, the secondary volume, in contrast, adopts a central court configuration in the manner of a traditional Kyoto townhouse, and is basically closed in attitude. In these two volumes, guests of the facilities can enjoy two contrasting types of exterior space.
A pond is placed before the entrance hall, in the courtyard of the main volume. Visitors arriving here will become aware of the sound of water within the tranquil surroundings. The path of movement also leads mainly through exterior spaces; even when moving through the building, guests will be outside, in communion with a rich natural environment unlike anything they might encounter in the city.
To be far removed from the incoherent city, at times, and reawakened to the sound of water, the scent of the wind, the personalities of the seasons -architecture placed in rich natural surroundings should become a catalyst for this kind of revitalization. This thought has guided the development of this project.
