Fab 40: Chiaki Arai, Tokyo

In the grand tradition of Japanese civic architecture – a genre that has seen masterworks by Kenzo Tange, Tadao Ando and Kisho Kurokawa, amongst others – the new Ofunato Civic Cultural Center and Library is a virtuoso display of eccentric concrete forms.
See more Ofunato Civic Cultural Center and Library
Designed by the Meguro-based studio Chiaki Arai Urban & Architecture Design, the new building sits astride the landscape like a grey crustacean, with concrete claws that thrust down into the ground. The hard-edged exterior is certainly striking, from the fluted fortress-like form of the fly tower above the main theatre space to the angled buttresses, but it's the interior that really impresses.
Arai has mimicked the distinctive coastline of the Pacific coast in Ofunato prefecture, using layer upon layer of contoured concrete to form inverted 'river valleys' that rise up above visitors' heads. The complex includes studios, galleries, a library, tea room and concert hall.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Nothing takes its first step into high-end audio with the new over-ear wireless Headphone (1)
Created in partnership with KEF, the Nothing Headphone (1) is designed to shake up the sector and present over-ear audio in a wholly new way
-
In Copenhagen, Charlotte Taylor gave us a glimpse into the mess of real life
At 3 Days of Design, Charlotte Taylor staged ‘Home from Home’, a group exhibition in collaboration with Noura Residency, showcasing the chaos of the everyday, from unmade beds to breakfast leftovers
-
Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper transform everyday mats into sculptural seating in Senegal
Using woven plastic mats and zip ties, the New York designers explore local vernacular and creative adaptation at the Albers Foundation’s Thread residency
-
Mayumi Miyawaki’s Fukumura Cottage puts this lesser-known Japanese modernist in the spotlight
Discover the little-known modernist architect through this private home in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture countryside
-
Aston Martin completes its first Tokyo townhouse, crafted by the brand’s design team
This luxurious private house in Tokyo’s Omotesandō neighbourhood offers design and details shaped by Aston Martin, as well as features for the dedicated car collector
-
A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in Japan
Takeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
-
Naoshima New Museum of Art is a home for Asian art, and a lasting legacy, in Seto Inland Sea
The Naoshima New Museum of Art opens, marking a seminal addition to the Japanese island's renowned Benesse Art Site Naoshima; we explore Tadao Ando's design
-
Behind a contemporary veil, this Kyoto house has tradition at its core
Designed by Apollo Architects & Associates, a Kyoto house in Uji City is split into a series of courtyards, adding a sense of wellbeing to its residential environment
-
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa on harmony, nature and their RIBA gong
The SANAA duo are celebrating their RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 in London today, and talked to us about self-reflection, the year ahead, and the need to create harmony in our environment
-
New book 'I-IN' brings together Japanese heritage and minimalist architecture at its finest
Japanese architecture studio I-IN flaunts its expert command of 21st-century minimalism in a new book by Frame Publishers
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025
The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights