This project was a three-week long workshop with the Architectural Association’s Visiting School programme under the supervision and support, organised by Shin Egashira, who also runs Diploma unit 11 at the school. A team of six (Kazz-toshi Konishi, Mariano Maldonado Maza, William Gowland, Cheer Huang Cheng, Camille Corthouts and myself Stiliyana Minkovska) retrofitted the first ever built project in the village of Koshirakura- the famous bus stop, which until today transports people and students from the village to the nearby towns. We renovated its deteriorating roof during the three weeks, where we also had the chance to collaborate with the local Japanese community.
We stayed, cooked, played and worked in the school, which used to be blossoming with laughter, but is currently out of presence. The workshop makes it lively and full of excitement every year between August and September, when the festival of the village also takes place. We built all elements of the structure within the gymnasium of the school and celebrated the structure’s renovation with the people of Koshirakura on a beautiful summer night.
