Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2010

Albert Abut says: “The MKS center is a bio-technological complex intended for preparation and distribution of seeds for agricultural use. The design is directly inspired by the site and reflects the combination of many different natural elements: water, earth, light, and minerals which, together with seeds, are the indispensable prerequisites for creating life. It is also inspired by Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula topography, characterized by an undulating terrain of plateaus, mounts and hills, rivers and rice fields. This landscape full of contrasts, where the geometrical shapes of the fields set off the organic shapes of the hills, influences the form of the building. Thus, the roof, which shelters technical, scientific and logistical operations, simulates the soft slopes of the surrounding hills and features terraces, like rice fields, with irregular outlines that help the complex blend in with the landscape. Seen from afar, it becomes part of it. The same material is used for both roofing and facades in order to create a visual continuum. The use of the color blue, like a reflection of the sky, also has its roots in Japanese culture, which sees blue and green as different shades of the same life- and creation-affirming color. In conformity with the philosophy of sustainability that underlines the project, this choice of blue also matches the blue quartz photovoltaic panels which will soon be installed on the roof surface.”

For more info, see www.albertabut.com