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Caricature of the Yokohama International Passenger Terminal

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Cover of AA Files No. 29 (Summer 1995) featuring honorable mentions for design submissions to the competition of 1994 with concept art for the Terminal

Source: https://www.jstor.org/

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Precedent on Digital Architecture

In the blog, The Beauty of Transport the author points out that although rarely admitted by its architects, the Yokohama Terminal is one of the first building to have ever been designed in such a complex manner that computers were necessary, as conventional drawing techniques could not accurately depict the design. Consequently, this set a precedent for the digital “blobs” that were to come such as the “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Games stadium in Beijing, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, as referred to in book Architecture: The Whole Story, therefore making a norm out of the innovative, and aiding in the process of giving birth to a new form of architecture. Unfortunately, it appears to me that the building is unappreciated because of how much more complex “digital architecture” has become, and the Yokohama Terminal is seen by most as simply a slightly less unimpressive port than the rest and is dismissed without further interest.

Source: 

https://thebeautyoftransport.com/

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“Less is more” - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

In the book “Process: Material and Representation in Architecture” we can find a breakdown of the different elements of the design for the Yokohama Terminal illustrates how the pier is shaped as the boats it harbors and its flowing continuous shape alures to the waves of the ocean. The choice of width and length of the wood that makes the upper deck park, aid in the flow of the building by allowing the surface to uniformly transition throughout the design. Furthermore, the geometric pattern directs the eye towards this imposed flow to make it seem natural. In contrast, the different planes evolve and change throughout the length of the pier to adapt and address localized functions. 

As seen in this diagram, the pleasing flow of the topology which makes the pier seem as a continuous surface alongside Yamashita and Akaranega Park transforms in the lower layers into a tool for directing people to some specific function, may that be boarding, disembarking, or even mingling. Finally, this structural geometry allows the architect to forego columns, by utilizing a system of steel trussed folded plates and concrete girders that provide the required flexibility due to the high tectonic activity present in the region.

Source:

Borden, Gail Peter. Process: Material and Representation in Architecture. Abingdon, Oxon;New York;: Routledge, 2014.

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Seamless Articulation

In an essay by the Foreign Office Architects, they express a necessity for optimization and a “performative approach” to architecture due to an accelerated need for “space”. They build their case around the assumption that Architecture no longer needs to transmit a message or embody an ideology but ultimately is motivated by a desire and a need to modify and create our environment. The globalized world needs then, the ability to merge and integrate different and often conflicting ideas into one coherent system. Complexity does not imply impossibility, only the necessity to develop new and better techniques. Finally, it is this merging and flowing of ideas that permeates the design of the Yokohama Terminal in order to combine the elements of a public space with those of a secure and regulated international port.

Source:  Foreign Office Architects (2013) The Digital and the Global (1996), in The Digital Turn in Architecture 1992-2012 (ed M. Carpo), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA.

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- Since Architecture is considered a “soft science”, the rigor for academic publications is less than that of fields such as, Mathematics, Biology, or Chemistry, which makes it easier to publish yet may cast doubts on the scientific rigor of said publications

- There is a big gap between the sciences and the public due to language barriers, and this creates a whole wave of skepticism and mistrust between the two involved parties

- Due to the lack of exposure architecture has in the United States, this issue of academic rigor creates a dilemma. Where must architects concede? Must they give up on the benefits of peer-reviewed and rigorous research guidelines to further the recognition of Architecture as a science, or must they give up on filling the gap left by the American education system, which lacks any form of formal instruction or Architecture, its history, and its effect on daily life?

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“Buildings are accountable...” - Alejandro Zaera-Polo

During an interview in 2009 we can see Alejandro Zaera-Polo expressing his concern with the optimistic approach from first world architects to solving developing country needs. The idea that buildings are accountable, that they must provide some function under a series of budget constraints because, despite there existing prosperity in some places, there are many more where there is scarcity. Conclusively, Zaera-Polo makes the point that despite the romanticization and rise of “star architects” making photogenic but impractical buildings, he believes that there can exist a balance between the two and that, as long as the architect attaches himself to the politicians, the engineers, the constructors, and the media he can create both a beautiful and practical form of architecture

Source:

www.onarchitecture.com, Alejandro Zaera Polo Interview, By Felipe De Ferrari M. & Diego Grass P., February 24th, 2009, Foreign Office Architects, London, England

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The Terminal effortlessly doubles as a park for the locals, assuming its different roles on different levels without conflict

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On Ignacio Izquierdo’s gallery, it is fascinating to see the use of artificial lights along the deck at night-time, creating both domestic settings and imposing pathways of light that weave through the complex architecture of the building

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The urban setting surrounding the pier and matching architectural style between the Seagull Harp and the Yokohama International Passenger Terminal allow the pier to appear as an extension of the urban complex into the horizon. Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention the path of trees between the Yokohama Park and the pier furthering this idea of the  pier being an extension of the city, creating a thin pathway of trees from the baseball field to the Yokohama Terminal

Source: 

https://www.google.com/maps/

https://www.archdaily.com/

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The exterior in wood and concrete with details in steel make the pier a unique sight. A clash between nature and man. A human timestamp on the timeless ocean that spreads beyond

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/

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The ramps allow the design to flow from the wooden exterior as it twists, and turns around into the warping steel ceiling of the second floor. Combining the two materials into a natural yet futuristic space

Source: https://www.farshidmoussavi.com/

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The parking space sends a strong futuristic message of cleanliness and order with its combination of steel, concrete, and asphalt, and the precise and pristine parking spot markings.

Source: https://www.farshidmoussavi.com/

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Sectionals of the Yokohama International Passenger Terminal clearly illustrating the symmetry and flow that dominates the pier.

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/