Nihonbashi Muromachi in Progress / construction site design / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Tokyo is continuously under construction. Construction places occupy a large area of the public environment. Usually the construction sites are covered in a rough manner that makes the environment worse. Studio Han Design designed a temporary street pavement for the construction site in the Muromachi area which is known for its historical importance. The main challenges for the designed involved: separation between street and side walk, safety for the pedestrian, resistance to the heavy loads of cranes, visual coherence with the surrounding environment.

The pavement is done by one square meter modules, 50 millimetres thick. Three modules are mounted over a 200 millimetres concrete support. The pattern takes inspiration from the traditional family crests. The final finish is given by an hand made texture. The color was decided taking into consideration the surrounding environment and the evolution of the appearance during time.The pavement will stay for five years in the site and then moved to another construction site.Winning 2005 Good Design Award.

photo: momoko japan