Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo by Hiroaki Iwasa

Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo by Hiroaki Iwasa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award na Bronse in Disenyo ng Arkitektura, Gusali at Estruktura Competition Category.

BronseArkitektura· 2025

Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo

by Hiroaki Iwasa

Client: Hiroaki Iwasa Architects Workshop

A' Design Award na Bronse Winner in Arkitektura Category

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The Design

About Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo

Ang proyekto ay isang rekonstruksyon ng 140 taong gulang na bulwagan ng pagtanggap, na isa sa mga pasilidad ng Buddhistang templo ng Kouunji. Ang lumang bulwagan ng pagtanggap ay matagal nang minamahal ng lokal na komunidad; gayunpaman, dahil sa matinding pinsala sa loob ng mga taon, kinailangan itong dumaan sa rekonstruksyon. Nilutas ng arkitekto ang mga isyung ito sa pamamagitan ng pag-update at pag-harmonisa, at nag-disenyo rin ng ilang sistema upang maipasa ang alaala ng lokal na komunidad sa susunod na henerasyon. Bilang resulta, hindi lamang nakamit ng bagong bulwagan ng pagtanggap ang damdamin ng nostalgia kundi pati na rin ang presensya sa historikal na konteksto.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award na Bronse

Ang Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo ay nagwagi ng A' Design Award na Bronse, isang lubhang prestihiyosong pagkilalang iginagawad sa mga natatanging disenyong nakikilala sa pagkamalikhain, katalinuhan at talas ng isip. Ang mga nagwagi ng Bronse ay mga likhang lubhang mahusay at kapansin-pansing malikhain na nagpapatunay sa malawak na karanasan, imahinasyon at pagkamaparaan ng kanilang mga tagapagdisenyo. Inaasahang ang Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo ay isang lubos na pinahahalagahan, hinahangaan at minamahal na bagay na kapansin-pansing propesyonal at makabago. Ang disenyong ito na nagwagi ng A' Design Award na Bronse ay nagsasama ng pinakamahuhusay na kasanayan sa sining, agham, disenyo at teknolohiya, at mahusay dahil sa pansin nito sa detalye. Ang Kouunji Kyakuden Bulwagan ng Pagtanggap ng Templo ay kahanga-hangang tumutugon sa mga pangangailangan, humahaplos sa mga hangarin, bumibighani sa damdamin at umaakit sa pag-uusisa.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This project was the reconstruction of the reception hall of a Buddhist temple passed 140 years. The old reception hall had been loved by the local community for long time, but it was beyond the scope of repair. Therefore architect took on various creative challenges. He aimed to solve these issues by updating it to modern functions, harmonizing it with other facilities, and devising some mechanisms to pass on the memory of local society to the next generation. As a result, this architecture was able to achieve not a sense of nostalgia but also a presence for the future.
Dimensions & Packaging: Specification,
Scale/ Wooden two-story building,
Structure/ Timber frame structure,
Site Area/ 3039.15 Square meter,
Building Area/ 277.26 Square meter,
Total Floor Area/ 323.77 Square meter,
Tags: temple, reception hall, reused, minimal philosophy, local landscape, passing on the memories, historical context, local community
Production Technology: This project had a clear floor plan with each function directly connected around the entrance hall, but there were many difficult construction tasks in some places. Ground reinforcement and strong foundation construction for soft ground, woodwork including special joints to structurally reuse old materials, fabrication of delicate and movable cedar lattices, and the revival of forgotten traditional natural paints "Kumezo". This project was realized through thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship.
Design Challenge: Various choices and challenges were made to pass on the memory of the local community. By choosing a common wooden house construction method rather than the traditional temple construction method, they were able to shorten the construction period, reduce construction costs, and as the result have time to repair and reuse old materials. The exterior has a roof shape unique to the region, and the walls and window lattices are finished with local cedar wood and with a revived traditional natural paint "Kumezo". As a result, this architecture achieved a special harmony and presence.
Research: Type of Research: About the relationship between Kouunji and the local area.
Methodology: History, landscape and topography research, annual event research, monk behavior research, and interviews with local residents,
Conclusion: Kouunji is the core of the local community that people have visited since childhood for events and daily life. The architect concluded that in addition to modernizing the function of the ceremony hall and harmonizing it with other facilities, it was essential to create a mechanism to pass on the memory of the local community to the next generation.
Inspiration: Researching the old reception hall and the landscape and history of the area provided architect with important inspiration. In particular, the old reception hall was tilted due to the soft ground, but it was discovered that some of the main structures, such as beams and columns, were valuable materials that are currently unavailable, and could be reused if repaired. And new architecture was important not only for its shape in the landscape, but also for its presence within the historical context.
Project Duration: The project started in February 2002 and was completed in November 2004 in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Operation Flow: Kouunji is an essential presence for the region.
Because the parishioners of Kouunji are local residents and their relatives, and annual events and celebrations and condolences are mainly held for the parishioners. The reception hall, located to the side of the main hall, functions in conjunction with the main hall during events, and is used for religious ceremonies, waiting areas, dinners using the kitchen function, and a meeting place. It also functions as an emergency temporary evacuation center in the event of a disaster. There is also a temple office that oversees them.
Image Credits: Photographer Kozo Takayama