Shoraku-Ji is a Buddhist temple next to a cemetery in northeast Tokyo by Toru Kashihara Architects with a stepped concrete design that aims to subvert traditional temple architecture.
On the ground floor is the visitor centre and an events space, and above this is a space for religious ceremonies with an altar. The top floor is a residential space for the temple's priest. The facade is split into three horizontal bands formed by overlapping concrete wall sections and glazed openings. As the floors moves upwards, the width of these wall and window sections is halved and the reveals become deeper.
"It is not a traditional Buddhist temple form with multiple buildings across a site. Rather, it is organised into a single building of three floors."
The facade is split into three horizontal bands formed by overlapping concrete wall sections and glazed openings. As the floors moves upwards, the width of these wall and window sections is halved and the reveals become deeper.
"As a result, the building appears in elevation to be a huge To-Kyou, which in traditional Japanese wooden temple construction is a layered joint that connects the pillars and beams." — Toru Kashihara Architects
