Kazuyo Sejima - New Library, Japan Women’s University

Japan Women’s University is one of the oldest women’s universities in Japan and is situated in central Tokyo in Mejiro, among a number of other educational facilities. We are esponsible for a re-design of the whole masterplan, in conjunction with its 120 year anniversary due in 2021. The reconstruction of the library is the initial phase of the plan.Since the new library would face Mejiro Dori, a major road in the neighbourhood, the client asked that this building would not only provide an environment for innovative learning and interaction between students, but also become a new symbol of the university.

As opposed to the existing stacked building, we thought to use slopes to connect the different floors, fostering an integrated experience as students search for books and socialize within the building. The slope is built along the natural incline of the grounds and spirals gently around each floor. It connects to terraces and buffered rooms with differing widths along the way, giving a unique character to each location.

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