House of Ireland
TOKYO
An embassy is the base for a country's diplomatic mission abroad – meaning all of the political, cultural, and social relationships between the states. There will only be one embassy for one nation in another country, as a representation of the country, nation, culture, business, and diplomacy.
Overlooking a park in the centre of Tokyo, 'Ireland House' is designed to act as a beacon for business, diplomacy, culture and community. The Ireland House project was run as an international design competition led by the RIAI for a new embassy and business hub for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.
Idea. The idea is to create a House of Ireland as a representation of Isle of Ireland within a scale of one building site. A capsule that holds an essence of all of Ireland in Tokyo city.
Ireland is an isle country, an Island of Ireland, with outstanding landscape separated from the European land mass as a physically stand-alone land with many rocky shores and geological layered cliffs presenting great geological history. The land stands tall proudly in the sea, with green hills and unexpectedly varied landscape on the top of the rocks. The coverage of the green fields over the rocky shores creates an incredibly unique contrast. The topography and climate of the island has an outstanding impact on puristic and pragmatic shape of the nation's culture character which emphasizes its strength and openness at the same time. This was an image that we had in our minds while looking for the architecture of the House of Ireland, an elevated garden guarded with prehistoric natural cascading cliffs. The visual strength of cliffs and softness of the green fields. This is the impression of the Isle of Ireland.
House of Ireland. The idea for the House of Ireland Is to combine the natural image of the island with cultural awareness and heritage to be spread out. A visual statement of Island of Ireland on a foreign ground to delight simple and sharp cut form and invite for further exploration of the culture within hidden internal garden.
Water features play significant role in the architecture of the embassy building. The building is surrounded by water the same way as Ireland is surrounded by the sea. The underground event hall located at the front of the building is covered by a pool with a glass bottom which creates a surrealistic view through the water into the building, and caustics in the event hall.
Geo-Elevation. The building rises from the water with an elevation designed as an interpretation of geological layers, The stripes of black stone and glass are constructing the double skin elevation of the front of the building.
Entrance to the building is formed as a gap in the rock formation that leads to the interior. The stripes of geological layers on elevation are angled to direct and lead the visitors into the interior of the embassy.
Green Plateau Green Plateau Green roof of the building is shaped in a form of a green plateau to synthesize the image of Irish cliffs. It is designed for closed events and diplomatic private receptions.
House of Ireland
