Nara Convention Hall

£40m cultural building with auditoria and external spaces. Competition entry published, exhibited at the RIBA and Royal Academy, 1991

The tradition of history, and the expectation of the future, is emphasised by the heritage of Nara as a place of culture and international commerce.
The geography of the Silk Road and the nature of the city were analysed to expose traditional values, which are relevant to the contemporary issues of 'conference'and 'convention'.
The Japanese tradition of carrying food in a box, designed to house assorted dishes whilst maintaining a rigidity, was taken as a symbolic element of culture relevant to the 'symbiosis of history and the future'; it is a representation of the everyday life of a traveller. The nature of convention was explored as a place which harbours the private and public exchange.
The proposal draws on these elements as devices in the city, which are developed both as ordering principles and objects.