Located in the central area of Yusuhara, a town on the border of Kochi and Ehime prefectures with the nickname kumo no ue no machi (the "town above the clouds"), this combined library and sochial welfare complex serves people ranging from children to senior citizens. Facing a gymnasium and preschool childcare facility arcoss a grassy squre, it forms the core of a multy-generational community.
In the library, we employed a mixed steel and cedar structure to create a forest-like space with dappled sunlight shining through, ideal for the forest town of Yusuhara. The floor is not flat but undulates like the earth, and it raised area can also be used as a stage for various events such as talks and concerts. Nobody wears shoes in the library, and visitors can directly feel the warmth of the compacted-cedar floor. People can lie down in a place of their choosing, read books, and spend a relaxing day as if at home.
The social welfare facility facing the library is also a warm and gentle environment, making extensive use of handmade paper made with local tree bark by the Yusuhara-based washi paper artisan Rogier Uitenboogaart.