Fernando Garrido Carreras
Intermission
Social Brewery
Cultivating Community and Cultural Exchange in Urban Japan
John Adrian
This project in Japan addresses the challenges of an aging population and declining birth rate by fostering the integration of immigrants into Japanese society through a dynamic cultural hub. The core of the project is a brewery specializing in rice-based alcoholic beverages, which serves as a focal point for local production and cultural exchange. Complementary components include a foreign language school and a foreign film archive and cinema, promoting cross-cultural dialogue and appreciation.
Architecturally, the design integrates diverse programs within a complex, layered form that invites exploration. It features a vertical configuration to create accessible public spaces, addressing the scarcity of such areas. Inspired by Kumiko Inui’s “little spaces” concept, the project incorporates intimate, human-scale areas that foster community interaction and a sense of belonging.
Typology: Urban Cultural Center
Program: Brewery, bar, foreign language school, film archive, cinema
Scale: 875 square meters (site area)
Material: Steel, Concrete, Glass
The 1:100 model showing shifting masses, planes and walls which create these “little spaces”
The 1st floor plan showing the front retail space, brewery viewing walkway, bar and workshops
Through the diversity of spaces, the project creates a small urban condition as a vertical street
The 1:50 scale fragment model shows the hanging facade which allows this little rest space to feel light and delicate
As a small urban intervention, this portable cinema and bar brings the experience of the project to other sites
This 3 square meter intervention utilizes open spaces such as parking spaces and parks
Text and images © John Adrian, 2024
This project was conducted as part of “Rethinking Metabolic Rift: Tokyo: Architecture Between Scales and Typologies”, a spring 2024 studio at the Harvard GSD. Please click here to read more about this studio and see other projects.
