River/Filter

Abstract

The River/Filter is a traditional Japanese noodle shop and restaurant, located in an environment that is typical for Japanese provinces. One side of the site is bordered by the picturesque scenery of the Abukuma River’s Otsujigataki Falls, while the other side faces the busy motorway that connects Fukushima Airport with the city of Suga. Architecture here, standing between the distinct zones of nature and transportation, functions as a mediator between these two conflicting environments. Kuma therefore designed the small, primarily wooden building to act as a finely woven piece of filter rather than a solid mass or object.