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29 Oct 2010

constructing landscape - a week of infrastructure


Around the edges of Tokyo Bay[Wikipedia] all land is artificial, if you look at the link you will. This process of constructing an islands and extending land has been going on for a long time, it is used for many different things, Haneda airport, housing, industry and entertainment. But now the end of this process of landfill is in sight. This is the story of island that is supposed to be the last one. This is the sea forest proposed by Tadao Ando, article here.



An island is traditionally built of garbage, as is this one. The garbage is compressed and layered with soil.

To stop fires from occurring due to the gases that build up in the ground when the garbage is decomposing this kind of pipes are put into place to relieve pressure.

There are different kinds of pipes stuck in the ground, this kind makes the empty landscape feel like giant grid.

Barriers made to stop garbage from being blown into to Tokyo Bay.

A steady series of truck filling up the topography.

The weight of every arriving truck that is noted.

Garbage being compressed and arranged.


Tokyos skyline in the distance is clearly visible from the top of the island.

Infrastructure is also being built, here a bridge.

Some parts of the island are more finished with nature, here a small pond with newly planted trees surrounding it.

Other areas offer more desolate views...

What set this island apart from the others, which are extremely flat, is the fact that is has clear topography; hills, valleys and a series of other features. A giant sandbox. This island is set to be covered with forest, a reserve of nature. Sea forest (海の森 Umi-no-Mori), with Tadao Ando as a leading figure/designer.
The whole project makes me wondering about what else can be done with garbage we are producing. It is clear that we, as a society, have to produce less, but what to do with the things we already have produced?

Wetlands on the edge of the island.

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