The Sumida Hokusai Museum

Irregular-shaped curtain wall glass using

The Sumida Hokusai Museum

Sumida-ku, Tokyo
DETAIL DESIGN
SANAA
DETAIL CONSTRUCTION
Obayashi, Tobu-Yachida JV
DETAIL SUMMARY OF WORK
The Sumida Hokusai Museum is Tokyo’s new hotspot, containing the works of Ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai. The designer is architect Sejima Kazuyo. The aluminum panels covering the entire exterior and the sharp lines were an innovative design. AGB was responsible for glass curtain walls covering the slits for the delta cones. In order to realise the sharp design, ultra-transparent glass in the “Koma” glass configuration was adopted which required sealing. A flat glass surface with no frame parts while retaining strength was created. To install glass on a sloping tunnel shape without the use of sash frames, the interface constantly bore the weight of the glass. As the performance of the seal is crucial in this “Koma” glass method, technical verification of this aspect was done thoroughly both on paper and experimentally. Further, as the fastener bolts were removed from the steel mullion behind for aesthetic reasons deliberately, the pieces were connected with on-site welding, further accentuating the transparency of the façade. The complex interior structure, the design of diverse irregular-shaped glass, installation planning for a very narrow space, and technical verifications meant that this was a project which took a long time to realise.
POINT
The detail of the complex curtain wall structure was examined using 3DCAD. As the installation demanded precision, XYZ materials were listed up beforehand on a isometric platform, and installation was conducted with reference to the 3D customisation data.
DETAIL CONSTRUCTION
The Sumida Hokusai Museum

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