Japanese architect Kikuma Watanabe sent me some pictures and a description of one of his latest earthbag projects described below.
This is a Shinto Shrine for remembering our origin. It was designed for the “Water and Land Art Festival” held in Niigata City.
This shrine exists in a vacant lot between two bridges. At this site there used to be lots of houses where many people lived. But after construction of the bridges, the town and people disappeared.
In this shrine we can be lost in meditation within the calm space of the main hall. We are able to find ourselves and remember our origin in the dome filled with Mother Earth.
To see more pictures and description go to earthbagbuilding.com.
The half grass dome is cool. I wonder if he plans to cover it completely? The dome will also be a testament to the seismic resistance of earthbag structures in earthquake prone Japan.
The grass would have to have strong roots and probably need a special surface to cling to in order to grow on that steep of slope. It would be interesting to hear the details.