Apr 25, 2017
Architect Spotlight: 12 Works by Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma
Komatsu Seirin Fabric Laboratory in Ishikawa, Japan
The renovation of this three-story office building—which serves as the workspace, exhibition, and research facility for Japanese fabric manufacturer Komatsu Seiren—is unique in both its design and its innovative use of carbon fiber, which protects the structure from earthquakes.
The cutting edge earthquake resistance technology uses carbon fiber and draws inspiration from a technique of braiding ropes which is indigenous to this part of Japan. The fiber rod is said to be ten times stronger than iron—and this was the first time that this material has been used as a means of reinforcement against earthquakes.
