Nendo adds fun to the daily commute with a new Japanese station plaza
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Possibly the best place in the world to be delayed for a train, the CoFuFun station plaza at Tenri Station in Japan, designed by Nendo (opens in new tab), is an upbeat urban intervention and a new community hub for Tenri City in Nara prefecture. Designed like an over-sized crazy golf range, CoFuFun has a great sense of humour, yet also gets the job done.
The 6000 sq m plaza features a series of white circular structures, that serve as multi-functional pavilions hosting a café, shops, information kiosk, bike rental, a play area, an outdoor stage and a meeting area.
The orbiting concrete forms are also historically informed, referencing ancient Japanese burial structures 'cofun,' common to Nara which can be found dotted around the mountainous area surrounding the city.
A view of the plaza landscaping.
While playful, these contemporary interpretations of cofun are very conductive to public space, with the stepped layers welcoming all manner of purposes from seating, to steps, to roofs, to shelves for products in shops, fences, or simply delightful sculptural forms for weaving around on your commute.
Instead of a gateway, this new station plaza is a destination in itself. It takes on board its tasks, to provide space for people to wait, meet or waste time, yet activates its potential to bring people together and revitalize the community.
Nendo couldn’t resist a bit of word play when naming the project, which we can relate to at W*. Blending Japanese lexicon with international appeal, ‘CoFuFun’ refers to the ancient cofun, as well as the Japanese word funfun, which translates as ‘a happy, unconscious humming’. ‘co’ brings in ideas of ‘co’-operation and ‘co’-mmunity and well, hopefully we all know how to have a bit of ‘fun’.
Nendo’s circular plan echoes the natural scenery of the area and the ancient Japanese ’cofun’ structures found in the area.
An aerial view of Tenri Station plaza.
A cafe located within one of Nendo’s white concrete circular pavilions.
A meeting place is surrounded by a stepped seating area.
Entry to the cofun-like structures are playful and conceptual.
Stepped levels of the concrete cofun have multi-functional purposes as steps, benches and places for children, and adults, to play.
Inside one of Nendo’s contemporary cofun structures.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Nendo website (opens in new tab)
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
Jordanluca’s latest collection is inspired by Freud’s death drive
Self-destruction, sabotage and teenage angst inform Jordanluca’s S/S 2023 collection, which explores the pursuit of dangerous pleasures
By Jack Moss • Published
-
Lufthansa offers double bedrooms in the sky, courtesy of PriestmanGoode
New Lufthansa First Class Suites offer more space and comfort than ever before, from ultra-wide seats to the ultimate product for privacy-seeking passengers: a full-sized double bed in a self-contained room
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Veil House balances openness and seclusion in Winnipeg
A large steel screen shields Veil House, a striking private residence in Winnipeg, Canada, designed by local practice 5468796 Architecture
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Bas Smets on landscaping Notre-Dame, and ‘hacking' a city to fight climate change
Landscape architect Bas Smets talks to us about Notre-Dame, modern gardens, microclimates and more
By Ellie Stathaki • Last updated
-
Omar Gandhi Architect’s new viewing deck celebrates Canada’s Maritime provinces
Architect Omar Gandhi led the design for Peggy’s Cove Infrastructure Improvement Strategy, including a new, accessible observation deck positioned on a unique vantage point of the glaciated landscape on the iconic Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia
By Nasra Abdullahi • Last updated
-
Landscape architect Julie Bargmann scoops 2021 Oberlander Prize
The 2021 Oberlander Prize has been announced, honouring landscape architecture and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander – and the winner is American landscape architect Julie Bargmann
By Ellie Stathaki • Last updated
-
Erik Dhont goes wild in ‘unstructured’ Geneva garden
This Geneva garden is a spirited balance of art, architecture and nature, courtesy of Belgian landscape architect Erik Dhont for Karin Handlbauer, founder of Galerie Mezzanin
By Ellie Stathaki • Last updated
-
‘The Gathering Place’ is a minimalist gesture on the Scottish landscape
The Gathering Place by artists Sans Façon, architects KHBT, and the City of Inverness brings together architecture, art and the Scottish landscape
By Ellie Stathaki • Last updated
-
The Modernist Glade: an urban garden pops up in Milton Keynes
The Modernist Glade, a temporary, architectural public commission by London studio Hayatsu Architects and Danish artist Tue Greenfort, opens to the public
By Giovanna Dunmall • Last updated
-
Remembering Cornelia Hahn Oberlander (1921-2021)
Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, the famed Canadian landscape architect, has passed away at the age of 99 in Vancouver. Here, we pay tribute to her life and work.
By Ellie Stathaki • Last updated
-
Minimalist lido and surf shack open a stone’s throw from London
Birch hotel promotes next-generation escapes in the English countryside with a design by architecture collective Red Deer – and now, the retreat comes with a new minimalist lido and poolside bar
By Ellie Stathaki • Last updated