At 550 mm above the surface of the meadow, a wooden path is constructed over a length of 600 meters. We see an inherent beauty at the site today, and wish to share it with visitors. Our project is a simple intervention at the scale of the landscape, a space of passage that reveals Memu and Taiki-Cho with all five senses.
Through this act of elevating the body, we imagine that all nature is elevated to a garden and worthy of observation and reflection. The path is a structure for passage and relaxation that appeals to all senses and all seasons. Different points along the path awake different senses, gathering sceneries, textures, melodies, smells and tastes, all harmoniously fading in and out along ones journey through the site.
The path starts within the courtyard garden and proceeds into the landscape. This garden is a collective space to be enjoyed in the company of others. Here, food can be cultivated. Visitors can collect raw materials and prepared food as they set out on their journey. The path leads out, pausing momentarily as it crosses the outdoor track and then moves into the oval, shifting gently to attain its centre. A meeting place is constructed at the juncture of three paths in this wide open space, providing shelter from north-west winds, giving summer shade, creating intimate spaces where one can stop, rest, eat and contemplate. Here a fireplace acts as a communal node. On cool spring and autumn evenings people gather to grill foods on an open hearth surrounded by the beautiful landscape. From the meeting space, one branch reaches out to a viewing platform in the south; the other extends into the wilderness. The elevated viewpoint presents an opportunity to engage with the wider environment, the wetlands, the river, the sea, the forests, the fields and mountains in the distance. Through complementary planting, the site becomes a register of the ecological bio-diversity of Hokkaido. From one season to the next, the structure’s relationship to its surroundings is in constant change. Nature develops, adapts, wanders and spreads as time and the seasons pass, but the path is a strong sign in the landscape, a line of orientation and a stepping off place for exploring the landscape; and as a way to find your way home. The path, a simple dark wooden structure is designed with an economy of means in mind. It uses singularly the readily available 105x105mm standard timber section element and is assembled by a simple layering technique common to both traditional Japanese and Norwegian architecture.
We propose an uncomplicated screw pile foundation technique to support the structure for its ease of installation and its low impact upon the existing nature. Locals can use the skills and techniques familiar to them to erect the construction easily. We imagine the planting of the project as a sort of ritualistic process concerning time. Individuals are invited to take part in the process, perhaps planting an apple tree to celebrate a marriage or a cherry blossom rejoicing the birth of a child. In this way Memu, filled in time, truly becomes a space for everyone to enjoy.