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Inujima: Capturing the Landscape

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Politecnico di Milano - School of Architecture Urban Planning and Construction Engineering

IC Advanced  Architectural  Design Studio

Professors: Kazuyo Sejima, Jonas Elding 

Team: Kristina Azarić, Federico Iannarone, Giovanni Trogu

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Inujima is a small island in a quiet inland sea called Seto Naikai. You can walk around the entire island in about 1 to 2 hours. Once flourishing with industries as copper refining and stone quarrying, it is said that this small island had a population of 5000 people. However, along with the decline in the industries, the population on the island declined progressively, and now there are only about 50 islanders. The average age of the islanders is about 80 years old and the aging population and depopulation now remarkably limit the development of the settlement.
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By connecting existing Inujima’s points of interest while introducing new activities, a project involving the entire island is being born. Linear movement as fastest communication channel is breatihing new life into the entire island. 

Moving from what was to be an industrial island to definition of nature and sustainable environment. Following the shape of the terrain, project represents  symbiosis of natural and artificial. Connecting stone querry on the west side of the island with central ponds where structure transforms into the bridge, arriving to the village and finally connecting it with the small island on the east, with nature as a dominant notion, linear movement is being created.

 

The structure is place where south meets north, where artificial meets nature, where autochthonous people meet tourists, where water meets land. Where one can experience the spirit of the island in only 30 min. 
Proposed project contributes to the transformation of the island, defining the new environment, transition from natural to man-made construction. With this proposal island finnaly becomes defined entity, a whole where architecture ultimately becomes the environment.