White Loop
This is a project to create "architecture for children" within the Kiyoharu Art Village. When I think of architecture for children, the first person who comes to mind is Isamu Noguchi. When I once visited Black Slide Mantra in Sapporo, I was deeply impressed by the sight of children spiraling up and down repeatedly, playing as they climbed and descended. Inspired by this scene, I envisioned an image in my mind of "children weaving between birch trees, spiraling up and down in large, expansive loops, chasing each other playfully," which became my initial concept.
I was also greatly influenced by the Barbapapa picture books I was reading around the same time. The lovable, plump characters transform freely, sometimes into animals, sometimes into roller coasters, gently embracing children with their familiar colors and shapes. What intrigued me was their unique way of creating a home. They wrap plastic around their bodies, expand themselves, and then shrink to leave behind an organic space. This idea felt similar to the way houses are built using 3D printers that shape structures by layering melted filament, and I was amazed by its forward-thinking nature.
Drawing inspiration from these two sources, I decided to use a plastic filament 3D printer to create a slide. Upon observing various slides, I noticed the struggles and moments of hope and disappointment children experience: a child climbs up excitedly, only to be confused when another child goes the wrong way, or a child waits in line only to start crying when someone cuts in. To resolve these conflicts,I thought it would be best to seamlessly connect the sliding and climbing functions, integrating the shapes of the slide and stairs, which led us to the current Möbius strip-like form.
Children can "dive" into a white, cave-like space, carefully "climb" the slide-shaped stairs, "sit" and take in the view, "slide" down with joy, and then "run" to start the fun again. I hope that this sequence of experiences provides a fundamental architectural encounter for those kids, sparking an interest in architecture through playful engagement with this small structure.
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