New wooden school building in Tokyo. Large common spaces to foster relationships

Architect Kengo Kuma designed the wooden extension for the music department of the famous Tokyo school "Toho Gakuen", from which many important artists who today dominate the international sphere of classical music have emerged

The new building, for which special fire-fighting panels have also been used, covers an area of almost 5,000 square metres on four floors and is one of the few cases of large wooden architecture in Japan

Pine and cypress (hinoki) were used as the supporting structure due to their exceptional strength and resistance. For the outside, it was decided that another type of local cypress, which is particularly resistant to atmospheric agents should be used. Finally, a large amount of larch was used to cover the interiors, where the scenic impact becomes an intense expression of the "culture of wood". The large eaves on the front of the building and the outer wall are designed as a single layer of origami for which sliding boards have been used

A large common area connects the new building with the rest of the campus. The large corridors lead from one classroom to another and can be used by students to practice individually between lessons. Many environments have been created to stimulate communication and interaction between students, an innovative development compared to traditional school buildings in Japan

A building that becomes an inspiration for structural and architectural choices and the selection of materials, but above all for the important objective of connecting students by creating spacious and welcoming environments at the same time