Soma Home for All
Back to Projects list- Location
- Fukushima, Japan
- Year
- 2014
The HOME-FOR-ALL project was proposed by a group of five architects, led by Toyo Ito, who gathered together to help people affected by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The aim of HOME-FOR-ALL was to create spaces where people could gather together and build a new community life. The Soma City Home For All is one of thirteen community projects completed so far.
The Soma City Home For All was completed in the summer of 2015. It was built as a response to requests from parents to have an indoor space for their children to play, as outside background radiation levels were still too high.
Conceived to resemble a large straw sun hat held aloft by trees, this circular building, featuring a curved wooden lattice roof, is a an indoor play space for young children. The roof is supported by tree-shaped columns, complete with wooden owls and squirrels on the branches. The space inside is a round shape with a 14m diameter and is designed to give the feeling of playing in a forest.
The project was funded by donations made through T-Point Japan, generous individual donations, product and material donations - and all professional work was undertaken pro-bono.