Sobokuya's The Shrine Office Leans on Ancient Timber Techniques at Fujitake Shrine in Hokuto
Sobokuya has finalized The Shrine Office, a 47.1-square-metre wooden edifice located at Fujitake Shrine in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The project, spearheaded by founding principal Hisashi Imai alongside designer Yuko Sano, incorporates ishiba-date and niho-korobi construction methods. The slanted columns required intricate three-dimensional calculations for the beams, enabling the frame to distribute loads diagonally and accommodate seismic activity. The roof is clad in Corten steel, while the interior highlights larch from the Yatsugatake range, complemented by red pine taiko beams. Two openings allow natural light and ventilation, and the deep eaves with lime plaster walls enhance the ceremonial atmosphere. The design draws inspiration from the sumo ring at Mizu-waka-su Shrine, associated with Emperor Go-Toba's heritage.
Key facts
- The Shrine Office by Sobokuya is located within the precincts of Fujitake Shrine in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
- The building has a total floor area of 47.1 sqm
- The timber frame combines ishiba-date, with column bases resting directly on stone, and niho-korobi, with columns leaning uniformly outward in two directions
- Inclined columns required each beam to be calculated in three dimensions, marked, and drawn at full scale before cutting
- Unfixed column bases allow the structure to absorb seismic movement, functioning as an early form of base isolation
- The roof is clad in Corten steel, and the open roof structure exposes larch felled on the slopes of the Yatsugatake mountain range
- The design's formal starting point is the sumo ring at Mizu-waka-su Shrine on Oki Island in Shimane Prefecture, linked to the exiled Emperor Go-Toba
- Sobokuya founding principal Hisashi Imai visited Oki Island during the design process; lead designers are Hisashi Imai and Yuko Sano
Entities
Artists
- Hisashi Imai
- Yuko Sano
- Emperor Go-Toba
- Christina Vergopoulou
Institutions
- Sobokuya
- Fujitake Shrine
- Mizu-waka-su Shrine
- designboom
Locations
- Hokuto
- Japan
- Yamanashi Prefecture
- Yatsugatake mountain range
- Oki Island
- Shimane Prefecture