Fishmarket in Urayasu, Tokyo

Authors’ Comment

The study addresses the problem of contemporary mega-city’s urban expansion and the difficult balancing act of managing urban growth and sustainable development. The research focuses on the value of sustainability in architecture not just from the point of view of the technique or process but also as a cultural framework, therefore expanding the overall concept from design to architecture incorporating local identity as part of the design process.
Historically a very important fishing hub for Tokyo, Urayasu today has extended considerably over its limits. The main goal of the project was to integrate the coastal area of Urayasu by creating a new public space reminiscent of the local tradition and values. From a typological point of view, the new intervention can appeal to a model established throughout the Asian territories, that of the commercial street, reinterpreting it in a contemporary way. In the Japanese context, current public spaces should retain its traditional flexibility and versatility, vectors that lead to a good expression of collective identity. Thus, the key words of the project have become identity and flexibility. The intervention is a fish market serving both the local community as well as tourists, Housing 3 major functions (local fish processing area, the vending area, and the street food area), and reminding of the fishing past tradition of the area but also answering to present needs
The wooden framework adheres to a universal rule that is present at every scale of the market. From the rigorous structural grid down to the small details of the furniture. The goal was to create a unified and integrated solution, in which the same element can serve several purposes. This grid is populated with the same functional module that adapts to the situation it is put in to serve its needs.