Designing for tsunami resistance
We hardly need to be reminded that tsunamis in Japan are no joke. Photos showing entire towns leveled by the recent disaster are all too fresh in our memory. Once a tsunami hits there’s only so much we can do, so a big part of Japan’s rebuilding process has been to focus on prevention. Part of this plan includes the spectacular new Tsunami Disaster Preventive Control Center in Minamiawaji City. Designed by the Osaka-based firm Endo Shuhei Architect Institute, “Looptecture F,” as they’ve dubbed it, is a beautifully minimal, two-story circular steel structure. The rust-colored outer walls resemble a “strip of ribbon coiling in on itself;” it’s almost Serra-esque.
While the curves are attractive, they actually serve a specific function. When a flat, planar surface is struck by a mass of water it receives the full impact and is easily demolished. But a curved wall lacks a planar surface and can more easily deflect the impact of a giant wave. Other considerations include the main floor, which is elevated in order to prevent water damage from below. Who says functional government buildings have to be boring instead of beautiful?
