The premise of the studio was to engage with unifying transportation and waterfront in Ochanomizu, Tokyo through the excavation of nature on the urbanized Kanda River. As it exists, there is so much overlapping infrastructure that the river is rendered invisible in a way – it is covered and obscured by the presence of heavy flood walls, highways and fast-moving trains. The goal was to identify and find space and nature in this complex urban setting by embracing and embodying flows to encourage stay.
The project widens the Kanda River by exposing an underground flood management channel. This excavation between the existing subterranean infrastructure and the Kanda creates room for the design of an active waterfront, dual rivers, and a functional edge condition. The river walls slow water speed and enable vegetation growth, program and architectural form. The structure is connected to the Marunouchi Station and is an extension that allows visitors and commuters to experience the public river side. It acts as a respite, especially in comparison to shopping centers which normally adjoin metro-stations. Through the integration and exposure of the infrastructures on site, the character of the Kanda River in Ochanomizu is revealed and celebrated. In summary, the project 1) Excavated the hidden water management canal, 2) Re-purposed this space to house a new interior shallow river, and 3) Used the infrastructure as design tool and redesigned the Kanda River canal walls, breaking them into braided filaments, distributing them interiorly, and effectively widening the river into a flood plain.
