Nakano Flow: Designing for Spatial and Temporal Flow in urban Tokyo Eric Hanna A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture University of Washington 2017 Committee: Ken Tadashi Oshima (Chair) Gundula Proksch Jeffrey Hou Program Authorized to Offer Degree Architecture 1 ©Copyright 2017 Eric Hanna 2 University of Washington Abstract Nakano Flow: Designing for Spatial and Temporal Flow in urban Tokyo Eric Hanna Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Ken Tadashi Oshima Architecture Urban Tokyo is an environment of flows, having rapidly developed from its feudal form of the Edo period through cycles of destruction, growth and transformation since modernization. The plaza space adjacent to Nakano Station in Tokyo exemplifies this pattern, with an urban context drawing from many different eras of Tokyo’s urban history and attitudes towards public space and the built environment. Drawing from observations of patterns of use in the site and urban context, the lessons of Nakano’s eras of development, movements in urban design theory and from research into Japanese concepts of “movement space”, this thesis explores the creation of a new Nakano Station plaza. Prompted by proposals for the redevelopment of Nakano Station, this plaza proposal explores the development of an urban infrastructure that is adaptable and host to organic development over time. This infrastructure will also reconnect the urban fabric and Nakano’s users and perceivers across the void of the current site by hybridizing the site strategies of geometric spatial reference systems and sequenced movement spaces. The new Nakano Station plaza will exist as a platform and scaffold space, upon which new uses and modes of development can be explored and adapted to best accommodate the demands of future urban Tokyo. 3 Nakano Flow Designing for spatial and temporal flow in urban Tokyo 4 Program of Spaces .................................... 46 Table of Contents Program Goals ...................................... 46 Objectives............................................. 46 Table of Figures ..........................................6 Functions .............................................. 47 I. Introduction ...........................................8 List of program spaces ........................... 48 Problem Statement .....................................8 Design Approach ....................................... 50 Thesis Proposition .......................................9 Goals .................................................... 50 Elaboration .................................................9 Objectives............................................. 50 Tokyo Public Space ................................ 10 Limits & Delimits ....................................... 51 Concepts .................................................. 12 IV. Findings .................................................. 52 II. Theoretical Framework ............................ 13 Chapter Overview ..................................... 52 Chapter Overview ..................................... 13 Problem Revisited ..................................... 52 Observations ............................................ 13 Theoretical Framework Revisited ........... 53 Research stemming from observation ........ 15 Urban Strategy.......................................... 54 Movement Space .................................. 15 The Sun Plaza Connection ...................... 56 Metabolist Theory ................................. 17 The East-West Connection ..................... 59 Informal Development of urban forms ... 20 The North-South Connection ................. 62 Eras of Urban Development in Tokyo...... 22 Beneath the Surface .............................. 63 Concluding Thoughts ................................. 27 Materiality, Tectonics and Movement ........ 64 III. Methods ................................................. 28 V. Conclusion ............................................... 68 Chapter Overview ..................................... 28 Bibliography ............................................. 71 Overview of Design Methods ..................... 28 Image Credits............................................ 72 Thesis Objectives................................... 28 Research Paradigm................................ 29 Conceptual Position .............................. 29 Site Analysis.............................................. 30 A Brief Introduction to Nakano............... 30 Different “Zones” Of Nakano ................. 33 The Station Site......................................... 42 JR Proposal for New Nakano Station ....... 44 5 Figure 24: Building forms are highly individualized without reference to rigid planning or a unifying framework........ 35 Table of Figures Figure 25: Eclectic and Human-Scale Street Scene dominated by mobile elements and advertisements ....... 35 Figure 26: Zone 2, the contemporary Office and Institutional Park............................................................ 36 Figure 1: Streetscapes often feature human-scale and Figure 27: Open space for sports activities in Central Park mobile elements. ........................................................... 14 ...................................................................................... 38 Figure 2: Circulation is three-dimensional and circuitous . 14 Figure 28: Central Park as a spacious and green Figure 3: Spaces and pathways extend through buildings environment .................................................................. 38 and structures, existing as both interior and exterior Figure 29: Zone 3, the mixed-use and typical zone .......... 39 spaces across three dimensions...................................... 14 Figure 30: A variety of building scales, ages and uses in Figure 4: Any available or marginal space is utilized ........ 14 zone 3............................................................................ 40 Figure 5: Infrastructure is three-dimensional and flowing 14 Figure 31: Simple corridors with mixed buildings ............ 41 Figure 6: The procession of Ninomaru Palace is formed by Figure 32: Site and surroundings with major circulation bending space, dictating the path and perspective of the corridors shown. The existing, as well as proposed Nakano scene. ............................................................................ 15 Station are show, along with the prominently located Figure 7: Scenes are related to each other, forming a Nakano Sun Plaza........................................................... 42 sequence without bearing from the external world. Figure 33: The new plaza site in its current condition Characteristically “a” and “b” are equivalent. ................. 16 represents a void in the sequence of scenes from Figure 8: Nikko Toshougu. Instead of a central heirarchy or movement spaces in Nakano .......................................... 43 dominant axis of movement, processions and buildings are Figure 34: The new plaza design treats pedestrian space as referenced to each other and to bends in the path. ........ 16 secondary ...................................................................... 44 Figure 9: Kenzo Tange’s 1960 Tokyo Bay plan.................. 18 Figure 35: Japan Rail's Proposal for redevelopment of Figure 10: Kisho Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower (1972) Nakano Station and the station plaza.............................. 44 ...................................................................................... 18 Figure 36: Meiji University's student design alternative Figure 11: Kenzo Tange's 1970 "Big Roof" at the Osaka proposals ....................................................................... 45 EXPO 70 ......................................................................... 19 Figure 37: The proposed design connects to various parts Figure 12: Eclectic elements and a cozy human scale in of the surrounding urban fabric. ..................................... 52 Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho.............................................. 20 Figure 38: The Site Strategy engages the railway as well as Figure 13: Analytical Sketch of street elements in Shinjuku Sun Plaza and the surrounding Urban Fabric. .................. 53 Omoide Yokocho. Blue = Vertical, Yellow = Advertisements, Figure 39: Several primary connections are engaged Green = Utilities & Orange = Mobile Elements ................ 20 through the new plaza's components ............................. 55 Figure 14: Street Scene of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho Figure 40: A strong axis of connection between Sun Plaza during a lull in activity .................................................... 21 and the new Nakano Station, through multiple levels and Figure 15: Pedestrian Flyovers became common features spaces............................................................................ 56 in post-war urban development. .................................... 22 Figure 41: The plaza's surface components connect various Figure 16: Entrance to Nakano Broadway. The Scale of the parts of the urban fabric through the site. ...................... 57 building is lost due to its dense and varied surroundings. 23 Figure 42: The busy spaces of the project serve different Figure 17: Street Scene of Entertainment area near needs and users at different times. During the day, the Nakamise-Dori. This use pattern and building and block East plaza is a busy thoroughfare of movement. ............. 58 form developed in response to traffic from