“Encounter Corridor” – Intricately Intertwined
An Architecture Only Possible In VR
Kengo Kuma, a renowned Japanese architect, and professor at the University of Tokyo has designed a virtual space that has been attracting attention in recent years. This virtual space is a VR school designed for nurturing human resources for the next generation. It is a VR school for high school students and it is run by Kadokawa Dwango Gakuen. The conceptual design is based on the idea of “a New School for Nurturing Human Resources for the Next Generation.” The tower-like structure is intricately intertwined and stacked like disks. The spiraling features of the disks appear like branches of trees that are stretching out. Kuma states, “the diverse and creative talent and potential of the students are beautifully expressed through the use of overflowing waterfalls and spirals. This creates the feeling of strong and creative growth.”
Students can wear VR enabled devices to transport them to a virtual learning space
Looking closely at the edges of each layer, you can see the endless overflowing of water. “We made it a huge structure, but it’s not supposed to be intimidating, it’s meant to be transparent, it’s lucid and intriguing. In order to realize the unique spiral shape in the design, we had to examine many shapes using parametric designs generated using computer programming,” says Kuma. This is the design process and it is a completely virtual one. This new VR Architecture is just a start. Building virtual worlds in virtual space will rapidly spread and grow.
Japanese Article: https://casabrutus.com/architecture/166436